A Fortnight

[richfo]

On reading my six year old a mr man book the other night, the word fortnight was used. He asked me what was a fortnight? I told him, but then wondered why? The only thing I could think of was fourteen nights? Anyone?

[Marsh]

The OED says "a contracted form of � fourteen nights" and give quotes that show them coalescing in the thirteenth century.  A week was a sevennight which then became a sennight.

You got it right, well done!

[jno]

that's right. Americans hardly ever use the word, I believe, they just say two weeks.

[Clare A]

Marsh is right. In a Goons' sketch someone orders 'a fortnight of orange squashes, please'.

'A fortnight of orange squashes?'.

'Yes - two weak ones'!

 

(Don't worry, folks, I've a wealth of jokes just like that!).

[Bert]

My Dad would sometimes say, of a cup of tea, "This tea's a fortnight" He would then wait until someone said "what do you mean?" (Obviously, he had to wait a long time after the first couple of times.) He would then say "It's too weak!" Ho, Ho.

By the way, who do the French and Spanish say "Fifteen days" (quinze jours, quince dias) for a fortnight?

[Peter Pedant]

They count the day at each ends (My French master told me in 1963)

[Bert]

That's probably true, Peter, but it does not make much sense (but when did the French ever have to make sense? - but I like the Spanish). If you have a fortnight's holiday, you might stop work on a Tuesday night and go back to work on Wednesday morning, two weeks later, you have had 14 days' holiday, not 15. But most holiday brochures have one week or two week holidays where you fly back on the same day of the week that you flew in on, so you have 7 (or 14) nights abroad, but need to take 8 (or 15) days leave (including the weekend).