On Thu, 2006-03-02 at 00:45, Hannu Krosing wrote:
> Ühel kenal päeval, K, 2006-03-01 kell 14:36, kirjutas Scott Marlowe:
>
> > > But it isn't '-2 months, -1 day'. I think what you are saying is what I
> > > am saying, that we should make the signs consistent.
> >
> > Pretty much. It just seems wrong to have different signs in what is
> > essentially a single unit.
> >
> > We don't say 42 degrees, -12 minutes when measuring arc, do we? Then
> > again, maybe some folks do. It just seems wrong to me.
>
> But we do say both "quarter past three" (3 hours 15 min) and "quarter to
> four" (4 hours -15 min) when talking about time.
But the military says 1515 or 1545 or 0315 or 0345, because if they get
the time wrong they shell the wrong place and kill their own soldiers.
I.e. getting it right is important to them. So they use exact
language. I prefer the more exact way.