"this thursday" is not the same as "next thursday"

[ghost]

No description provided.

[matthewmueller]

I think you're probably right, but I think this might be a bit subjective too. Let's see what other people think.

[dalemyers]

I'd agree. Next Thursday and this Thursday should be different days.

[ErtugKaya]

According to Oxford Dictionary:

(of a day of the week) nearest (or the nearest but one) after the present:
not this Wednesday, next Wednesday

[lnzbarton]

I agree that there's a difference between "this" and "next."

Typing today, on 7/13, I'd love for different dates to be chosen when you write:

• for 7/4: "thursday before last" -- currently gives you this coming Thursday, 7/18
• for 7/11: "last thursday" or "this past thursday" -- first works; second gives you this coming Thursday, 7/18
• for 7/18: "thursday" or "this thursday" -- works
• for 7/25: "next thursday" -- currently gives you this coming Thursday, 7/18

[w33ble]

I concur, this thursday != next thursday. FWIW, the parser in Sugar.js gets this right: http://sugarjs.com/api/Date/create

[iandevlin]

It's very subjective!

[ShirtlessKirk]

In English English:

• this [coming] Thursday == [next] Thursday (days in close proximity - such as if today is Tuesday - aren't usually prefixed with "next"). Only if today is Thursday would it be a week out ("this Thursday" == "today"), but you wouldn't say "this Thursday" in the first place.
• Thursday next == a week Thursday, except if today is Thursday, where it equals "next Thursday" (or, indeed, "a week today"). If you wanted a fortnight from today (when today is Thursday) you'd say "a week next Thursday" or "Thursday fortnight"

So:
(on a Tuesday)

• Thursday gives you Thursday (duh)
• this Thursday gives you Thursday
• next Thursday gives you Thursday
• Thursday next gives you Thursday after the next Thursday from today
• Thursday week gives you Thursday after the next Thursday from today
• a week Thursday gives you Thursday after the next Thursday from today
• Thursday fortnight gives you Thursday after the next Thursday after the next Thursday from today

(on a Thursday)

• Thursday gives you today
• this Thursday gives you today
• next Thursday gives you a week today
• Thursday next doesn't compute, but should give you next Thursday
• Thursday week doesn't compute, but should give you Thursday after next Thursday
• a week Thursday doesn't compute, but should give you Thursday after next Thursday
• Thursday fortnight doesn't compute, but should give you Thursday after next Thursday

[w33ble]

@ShirtlessKirk That's all well and good if you go by some dictionary, but I think the more important bit is how the phrasing is actually used. Languages is dynamic, after all. That's the problem with language parsing, language varies by region.

FWIW, I've never heard anyone use "Thursday next," and with almost no exceptions, "next Thursday" is always interpreted as "next week Thursday."

[ShirtlessKirk]

The first three words of my comment: "In English English" should have been a clue...

[chipweinberger]

"This thursday" can refer both to the following thursday or the previous thursday. depending on context.

Compare, "I went there this thursday" vs "im going there this thursday". "This thursday" can refer to either the next or the previous. Without other context it is always ambiguous and using it without context should always be avoided. Without context, you'll often have people ask to clarify "did you mean next thursday or the previous thursday?"

In addition to making more literal sense, this is why many people prefer to use "next thursday" literally to avoid the ambiguity caused from "this thursday". Or course there is still ambiguity because some geniuses decided "next thursday" should sometimes refer to 2 thursdays from now. Those people should be shamed.