HampdenHearts Posted September 28, 2012 Posted September 28, 2012 My friend was picking me up at 'the back of 12' today, now I class the back of 12 as between 12.00 and 12.15. He then picked me up at 12.35 which I was like 'but you said the back of 12' and said yes 12.35 is the back of 12. I have heard people claim different times, I would just like to get a majority verdict. What time do YOU think is 'the back of 12'?
Dunks Posted September 28, 2012 Posted September 28, 2012 Any time after 12, but before the next 12 You felt like a tool standing around waiting for your friend, didn't you?
Sergio Garcia Posted September 28, 2012 Posted September 28, 2012 Anything between :01 and :14, so back of 12 is up until quarter past 12.
HampdenHearts Posted September 28, 2012 Author Posted September 28, 2012 Nah I was in my house but I am generally an impatient guy, hate waiting about. Thank you Sergio.
Sergio Garcia Posted September 28, 2012 Posted September 28, 2012 Nah I was in my house but I am generally an impatient guy, hate waiting about. Thank you Sergio. I'm the same, if someone is picking me up /meeting me I hate when they are late without good reason or letting me know. One of the only times I'm impatient.
Rudi Skacel Posted September 28, 2012 Posted September 28, 2012 I always took it as meaning after half past, ie the back of the hour meaning nearer the end of the hour than the start I also hated it when I was younger and just moaned about why I wasnt being given a rough time ie "about" half 12. "About" is a time everyone can understand, might be 5 or 10 minutes before or after but you still generally knew
graygo Posted September 28, 2012 Posted September 28, 2012 I always took it as meaning after half past, ie the back of the hour meaning nearer the end of the hour than the start I also hated it when I was younger and just moaned about why I wasnt being given a rough time ie "about" half 12. "About" is a time everyone can understand, might be 5 or 10 minutes before or after but you still generally knew Nah mate, back of 12 is between 12 and 12.15. 12.35 is taking the piss.
Rudi Skacel Posted September 28, 2012 Posted September 28, 2012 Nah mate, back of 12 is between 12 and 12.15. 12.35 is taking the piss. Why not say "just after 12"? Its obvious his mate thinks the same as me therefore we are right
graygo Posted September 28, 2012 Posted September 28, 2012 Why not say "just after 12"? Its obvious his mate thinks the same as me therefore we are right Did your mum not tell you that 2 wrongs never make a right. On another note ...... Why do people say that the ball hits the back of the net when a goal is scored? Surely it hits the front of it.
southside1874 Posted September 28, 2012 Posted September 28, 2012 My friend was picking me up at 'the back of 12' today, now I class the back of 12 as between 12.00 and 12.15. He then picked me up at 12.35 which I was like 'but you said the back of 12' and said yes 12.35 is the back of 12. I have heard people claim different times, I would just like to get a majority verdict. What time do YOU think is 'the back of 12'? The back of twelve is 12.35 in your mates eyes. I used to have a mate who got so pedantic about time that I bumped him as he was stressing me out about 20 minutes. I then realised that time is the only thing that friends have for each other..............but it was too late.
southside1874 Posted September 28, 2012 Posted September 28, 2012 Did your mum not tell you that 2 wrongs never make a right. On another note ...... Why do people say that the ball hits the back of the net when a goal is scored? Surely it hits the front of it. sensationalism.
Tommy Brown Posted September 28, 2012 Posted September 28, 2012 Did your mum not tell you that 2 wrongs never make a right. On another note ...... Why do people say that the ball hits the back of the net when a goal is scored? Surely it hits the front of it. And those disgusting people who shit at the back of a tree...
Flux Posted September 28, 2012 Posted September 28, 2012 Does that mean the back of the alphabet is from A to G......
jambosean75 Posted September 28, 2012 Posted September 28, 2012 if i'm picking someone up and tell them it will be the back of 12 that means anything from 12.01 until the last possible minute where i can pick them up, drive like a maniac, run when we park and just make it with seconds to spare for the start no matter what time that is. can never understand when folk complain, we made it.
Dido of Consequence Posted September 28, 2012 Posted September 28, 2012 That's spooky! I was honestly thinking about the same thing before I logged in to KB. I'd say just after the hour and quarter past the hour.
HampdenHearts Posted September 28, 2012 Author Posted September 28, 2012 Thanks troops, more than enough clarification!
Ray Gin Posted September 28, 2012 Posted September 28, 2012 My friend was picking me up at 'the back of 12' today, now I class the back of 12 as between 12.00 and 12.15. He then picked me up at 12.35 which I was like 'but you said the back of 12' and said yes 12.35 is the back of 12. I have heard people claim different times, I would just like to get a majority verdict. What time do YOU think is 'the back of 12'? Up until about quarter past in my books.
The People's Chimp Posted September 28, 2012 Posted September 28, 2012 Just after the hour. Spot on. You could stretch to quarter past, but it's really as you say, just after the hour.
BoJack Horseman Posted September 28, 2012 Posted September 28, 2012 This crops up a lot as it's something I've never really understood. If there's so much confusion as to what "the back of" something is then why use it as time at all? Just say when you'll be there. I've never told someone I'll be anywhere at the back of any time. Logically, if you think about the phrase, at the earliest it would be 12.30. I'd say 12.45 was the back of 12. If there was a queue of 60 people, and you were in position 45, you'd be pretty close to the back of the queue. Laying the minutes out has the same result. Minute 1 - 15 is clearly the front of the hour, and 45 - 60 is the back.
Ribble Posted September 28, 2012 Posted September 28, 2012 Could it be that on the hour you would turn an hourglass back over on itself! Anyway 12.01 - 12:14 is what I would class as being the back of 12!
SUTOL Posted September 28, 2012 Posted September 28, 2012 I'd say as most others here, that "the back of 12" is 12.00 to 12.15, though I wouldn't have too much of a problem if someone else meant up to 12.29, as the "back of 12". Anything after 12.30 though would be considered the front of 1.00. My personal explanation is that just after (12) is behind 12 or at the back of 12, so "the back of 12.00" is anytime "just after" 12.00. After 12.15 would be "before 12.30".
hughesie27 Posted September 28, 2012 Posted September 28, 2012 My friend was picking me up at 'the back of 12' today, now I class the back of 12 as between 12.00 and 12.15. He then picked me up at 12.35 which I was like 'but you said the back of 12' and said yes 12.35 is the back of 12. I have heard people claim different times, I would just like to get a majority verdict. What time do YOU think is 'the back of 12'? Exactly as you have it. With a period of grace towards 20 past.
BoJack Horseman Posted September 28, 2012 Posted September 28, 2012 Those saying 12.01 - 12.15. What's your explanation for it, other than that's what you've always known it as? If you had no prior knowledge of the term, how would you work out what it meant?
Stuart McNeill Posted September 28, 2012 Posted September 28, 2012 You could also possibly say that 1-15minutes will be at the back of the hour. 60, 59, 58 ... 3, 2, 1. Does that make sense :s? Well it does to me! 12:00-12:15 is back of 12.
BoJack Horseman Posted September 28, 2012 Posted September 28, 2012 If you had shite day yesterday, and today you said "yeah, I was glad to see the back of thursday", you'd mean the end of it right?
Arnold Rothstein Posted September 28, 2012 Posted September 28, 2012 Those saying 12.01 - 12.15. What's your explanation for it, other than that's what you've always known it as? If you had no prior knowledge of the term, how would you work out what it meant? I always assumed it was 'the back of' as in 'coming just after'. Not often used in other examples granted but you could say a bus has come just at the back of another.
BoJack Horseman Posted September 28, 2012 Posted September 28, 2012 I always assumed it was 'the back of' as in 'coming just after'. Not often used in other examples granted but you could say a bus has come just at the back of another. That makes a bit more sense. I guess I'm looking at it as 'the back of the 12th hour' rather than 'the back of 12 o'clock'.
Bunny Munro Posted September 28, 2012 Posted September 28, 2012 That makes a bit more sense. I guess I'm looking at it as 'the back of the 12th hour' rather than 'the back of 12 o'clock'. The back of the 12th hour would be around 11.45. As soon as it hits 12 you are into the 13th hour of the day.
BoJack Horseman Posted September 28, 2012 Posted September 28, 2012 The back of the 12th hour would be around 11.45. As soon as it hits 12 you are into the 13th hour of the day. Semantics. You know what I meant.
Bunny Munro Posted September 28, 2012 Posted September 28, 2012 Semantics. You know what I meant. I know what you meant yes. I'm just pointing out why those who think the back of 12 is 12.30-13.00 are wrong.
systemx Posted September 28, 2012 Posted September 28, 2012 My understanding is the" back of" the hour would be around a quarter past until half past.Anything before that would be "jist efter" the hour.
graygo Posted September 28, 2012 Posted September 28, 2012 Those saying 12.01 - 12.15. What's your explanation for it, other than that's what you've always known it as? If you had no prior knowledge of the term, how would you work out what it meant? If someone said the back of 12 and you had no idea what they meant then surely you would ask for clarification. Whereby they would tell you that it is between 12 and 12.15.
BoJack Horseman Posted September 28, 2012 Posted September 28, 2012 If someone said the back of 12 and you had no idea what they meant then surely you would ask for clarification. Whereby they would tell you that it is between 12 and 12.15. The equivalent of "I'd google it". I mean if you had to work it out by yourself. How would you go about it and what conclusion would you come to.
Gorgiewave Posted September 28, 2012 Posted September 28, 2012 I think the back of a time is until quarter past the hour. I always assumed "the back of" was due to this time being "behind" the hour mark if you think of moving through time in a sequence.
Shapes Posted September 28, 2012 Posted September 28, 2012 I'm with Walter on this one. My mum always uses the phrase and I always thought it was about the 45-50 mark because logically that's the back end of the hour.
jambo_ED Posted September 28, 2012 Posted September 28, 2012 somewhere near the hour - between 5 to the hour and 5 past the hour.
Sraman Posted September 28, 2012 Posted September 28, 2012 The back of 12 is between 12:00:01 and 12:30:00. 12:30:01 - 12:59:59 is the front of 1. Your friend was late.
Jamboelite Posted September 28, 2012 Posted September 28, 2012 Its upto 12:15 its 15 minutes added to the back of the 12th hour like it has been added as additional time to that hour. Therefore the back of 12 is the 15mins immediately following the last hour.
BoJack Horseman Posted September 9, 2014 Posted September 9, 2014 Right this has come up again. Folk are still saying it's just after the hour with absolutely no rhyme or reason. The only explanation seems to be "that's just what it is". This thread hasn't helped, it's just more people saying that's what it is without explaining it logically. There's only 2 ways I can logically break down the phrase "the back of 12". a) If it's 12 o'clock and you put the clock back 10 minutes, it's 11.50. Which means 11.50 is at the back of 12, as you had to put the clock back to get to that point. The back of 12 is 11.50. b) you see the hour as a whole, and the back of it is the final minutes of the hour. Which would make the back of 12 more like 12.50. Now remember, the phrase is the "the back of 12", 12 is the reference point, and you're meeting at the back of it. You're not meeting when 12 is at the back of you. You're meeting at the back of 12.
Say What Again Posted September 9, 2014 Posted September 9, 2014 b) you see the hour as a whole, and the back of it is the final minutes of the hour. Which would make the back of 12 more like 12.50. That's always been my take. If I said to her I'd be home from the pub at the back of 7, that meant 7:59
2NaFish Posted September 9, 2014 Posted September 9, 2014 Right this has come up again. Folk are still saying it's just after the hour with absolutely no rhyme or reason. The only explanation seems to be "that's just what it is". This thread hasn't helped, it's just more people saying that's what it is without explaining it logically. There's only 2 ways I can logically break down the phrase "the back of 12". a) If it's 12 o'clock and you put the clock back 10 minutes, it's 11.50. Which means 11.50 is at the back of 12, as you had to put the clock back to get to that point. The back of 12 is 11.50. you see the hour as a whole, and the back of it is the final minutes of the hour. Which would make the back of 12 more like 12.50. Now remember, the phrase is the "the back of 12", 12 is the reference point, and you're meeting at the back of it. You're not meeting when 12 is at the back of you. You're meeting at the back of 12. It's the back side of 12. Once you've gone past someone you can see their back. Once you've gone past twelve it's the back of it. You've gone down a rabbit hole trying to prove it on taking apart the words. That's silly because it's an old phrase and the words have altered - just as 12 o'clock means twelve of the clock, "the back of 12" means the back side. Phrases alter their words but their meaning remains.
BoJack Horseman Posted September 9, 2014 Posted September 9, 2014 It's the back side of 12. Once you've gone past someone you can see their back. Once you've gone past twelve it's the back of it. You've gone down a rabbit hole trying to prove it on taking apart the words. That's silly because it's an old phrase and the words have altered - just as 12 o'clock means twelve of the clock, "the back of 12" means the back side. Phrases alter their words but their meaning remains. See this is where I disagree. Once you go past someone, you're in front of them, and they see your back. So if I'm at the back of someone, they're in front of me. So if I'm 11.50, there's 12 ahead of me, and I'm at the back of it. Say it's a horse race, and the horse called 12 is up the front, and the horse called 11.50 is at the back. 11.50 is at the back of 12.
lewis2006 Posted September 9, 2014 Posted September 9, 2014 Between the hour and ten minutes past for me.
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