My son's Little League game on Sunday was originally set for 3:30, but it's now been rescheduled for an earlier, 11:30 start time. In explaining the new schedule, I referred to this change as "pushing back" the start time. Upon further reflection, though, I realized I could (and probably would) have used the exact same idiom had the game been rescheduled for later in the day -- i.e., if it had been "pushed back" to 5:30. So: which is the proper meaning of "push back" in the context of rescheduling an event: earlier or later (or both)? (Yes, I know there are easy ways to avoid this confusion -- "reschedule for earlier," "postpone until later" -- but where's the fun in simple solutions?)
Monday, April 11, 2011
ALOTT5MA GRAMMAR RODEO MONDAY ALL-REQUEST EDITION: Because Professor Jeff, our 2007 Distinguished Visiting Lecturer, has a question:
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
pretty sure 'pushed back' is later and 'moved up' is earlier. next!
ReplyDeleteI would say, you're moving up the event if it's been rescheduled to eariler: "Universal moved up it's release of the new Harry Potter movie to May from June." It's been pushed back if the event is now later: "Our meeting on the TPS reports has been pushed back from 4 to 5:30."
ReplyDeleteChristina, on the other hand, thinks I'm daft and pushed back implies the event is now earlier.
All of this pushing back business makes me dizzy (and were I to be attending probably late or early or nowhere near the actual time), so I would say it is moved earlier or moved later neither of which is very elegant or evocative but hopefully make up in clarity what they lose in style.
ReplyDeleteNext is probably the continual/continuous question at which I hinted amid the April Fools post.
ReplyDeleteI always think 'pushed back' means it's going to be later, but I know others think differently and have had confusion over this before, so I'd rather avoid the phrase altogether.
ReplyDeleteThis is the first time I've ever heard "pushed back" mean earlier. I'll second the moved up = earlier, pushed back = later comment.
ReplyDeleteYeah, I would definitely assume that "pushed back" meant that the meeting was later, not earlier. For pure fun, I'd say use "pulled forward," but I think for clarity's sake I'd go with "moved up."
ReplyDeleteI vote for "pushed forward".
ReplyDeleteI use pushed up/pushed back for earlier/later.
ReplyDeletePushed back = later, moved up = earlier.
ReplyDeleteReal world follow-up: I actually ran this question by my fellow Little League parents over the weekend, and several did suggest "move up" as the preferred option for the earlier start time. But more than a few said that they might use "push back" for earlier as well. Maybe this is a regional thing? (Like how waiting "in line" suddenly becomes waiting "on line" once you cross the Hudson into NYC.)
ReplyDeleteI'm with the others--pushed back = later, moved up = earlier.
ReplyDeleteRelated: do you turn the air conditioning up or down when you want it cooler?
<span><span>You turn it up, like you're turning the volume up, to raise the level of cooling.</span><span>
ReplyDelete</span></span>
You turn the A/C up to bring the temperature down.
ReplyDeleteMy approach has always been to use it like you would if you were moving things on a calendar - so, concur with the group.
ReplyDeleteAnd concur with Meghan et al on A/C - turning it up makes it colder.
Never heard of pushed back meaning earlier, nor can I even grasp how that would work. As for the AC, to make it cooler I turn down the thermostat and let the HVAC figure out for itself what it needs to do. It's the only way it will learn.
ReplyDeleteAgree with moved up/pushed back (or cancelled entirely if you coach Little League in Oregon -- we're rained out more than we play).
ReplyDeleteI also agree on turning up the AC to make it cooler, but my husband vehemently disagrees. This is one of our most common arguments.
Pretty sure that if I were stuck in traffic trying to get to a meeting and somebody called to say "the meeting has been pushed back a half-hour," I would breathe a sigh of relief and thank my lucky stars. If I got there and found out I were 35 minutes late instead of 25 minutes early, I would be pissed at the abuse of the English language.
ReplyDeleteWell, it's clear that I'm either mangling the language or stuck in some strange local idiom. Thanks for the crowdsourced advice, everyone.
ReplyDeleteIn my area we say "pushed OUT" vs pushed back, meaning the same thing.
ReplyDeleteTo avoid confusion, I usually drop the "back" and just say that the time has been pushed to later.
ReplyDelete