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does this mean what I think it means - 4th last time
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I'm moving out of my current place in a few days. When I'm doing something a little annoying to my roommate, I joke, "sorry, this is (will be) like the 4th last time I do this", to mean that I'm only gonna do it 3 (a few) more times, so don't sweat, and forgive me. Am I using "4th last time" right?
phrases
add a comment |
I'm moving out of my current place in a few days. When I'm doing something a little annoying to my roommate, I joke, "sorry, this is (will be) like the 4th last time I do this", to mean that I'm only gonna do it 3 (a few) more times, so don't sweat, and forgive me. Am I using "4th last time" right?
phrases
2
If you wanted to be obtusely verbose about it, you could say "this is my preantepenultimate move." :-)
– Hellion
18 hours ago
2
Expect a response along the lines of “my days of not taking you seriously are certainly coming to a middle”.
– Roman Odaisky
15 hours ago
add a comment |
I'm moving out of my current place in a few days. When I'm doing something a little annoying to my roommate, I joke, "sorry, this is (will be) like the 4th last time I do this", to mean that I'm only gonna do it 3 (a few) more times, so don't sweat, and forgive me. Am I using "4th last time" right?
phrases
I'm moving out of my current place in a few days. When I'm doing something a little annoying to my roommate, I joke, "sorry, this is (will be) like the 4th last time I do this", to mean that I'm only gonna do it 3 (a few) more times, so don't sweat, and forgive me. Am I using "4th last time" right?
phrases
phrases
edited yesterday
kal
asked yesterday
kalkal
364
364
2
If you wanted to be obtusely verbose about it, you could say "this is my preantepenultimate move." :-)
– Hellion
18 hours ago
2
Expect a response along the lines of “my days of not taking you seriously are certainly coming to a middle”.
– Roman Odaisky
15 hours ago
add a comment |
2
If you wanted to be obtusely verbose about it, you could say "this is my preantepenultimate move." :-)
– Hellion
18 hours ago
2
Expect a response along the lines of “my days of not taking you seriously are certainly coming to a middle”.
– Roman Odaisky
15 hours ago
2
2
If you wanted to be obtusely verbose about it, you could say "this is my preantepenultimate move." :-)
– Hellion
18 hours ago
If you wanted to be obtusely verbose about it, you could say "this is my preantepenultimate move." :-)
– Hellion
18 hours ago
2
2
Expect a response along the lines of “my days of not taking you seriously are certainly coming to a middle”.
– Roman Odaisky
15 hours ago
Expect a response along the lines of “my days of not taking you seriously are certainly coming to a middle”.
– Roman Odaisky
15 hours ago
add a comment |
3 Answers
3
active
oldest
votes
I would always say 4th to last time.
"Fourth last time" sounds like it's the 4th time you're saying it for the last time.
New contributor
3
I was just about to say the same - to completely avoid ambiguity, 'fourth to last time'
– Smock
18 hours ago
3
That's where a hyphen would remove the ambiguity: ‘the fourth-last time’ clearly means there will be three more. — Hyphens seem to be out of fashion, but I think they're jolly handy and deserve to be used more! (And if everyone used them, then ‘the fourth last time’ would clearly mean that it follows three other last times.)
– gidds
16 hours ago
1
@gidds A hyphen does indeed disambiguate, but I doubt the asker is submitting jokes to their room-mate in writing.
– David Richerby
15 hours ago
1
@DavidRicherby: Seeing how people these days use their phones to type messages to people in the same room, it wouldn't surprise me! But even in speech, you can hint at hyphenation in your rhythm and timing. (In ‘fourth-last’, the ‘last’ would follow more quickly and with less emphasis than in ‘fourth last’.) After all, punctuation developed as a way of capturing the pauses, emphases, &c of spoken language, and only more recently acquired semantic significance.
– gidds
15 hours ago
add a comment |
Yes, if after saying this, you will, or are planning to, do the same thing 3 more times, then you can definitely say, "Sorry, this was like the 4th last time I do this", or more like "4th last time I plan to do this."
I see nothing wrong with the use of "4th last time" here.
New contributor
add a comment |
I read the statement "this is like the 4th last time I do this."
to mean you have stated "this is the last time I do this"
three times already.
Unless you have said this three times, then I would say you are not using the word "4th"
correctly in this manner.
If you are trying to say "I am only doing this three more times"
, then you could say the phrase "sorry, I have to do this three more times."
New contributor
4
Wrong. "Fourth last" (or "Nth last") is as common as second-last or third-last. It's completely obvious that "fourth-last" has the same meaning as second-last, third-last, etc.
– Fattie
19 hours ago
4
although "this is like the 4th 'last time' I do this" would mean it has already been the 'last time' 3 times already
– Smock
18 hours ago
add a comment |
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3 Answers
3
active
oldest
votes
3 Answers
3
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
I would always say 4th to last time.
"Fourth last time" sounds like it's the 4th time you're saying it for the last time.
New contributor
3
I was just about to say the same - to completely avoid ambiguity, 'fourth to last time'
– Smock
18 hours ago
3
That's where a hyphen would remove the ambiguity: ‘the fourth-last time’ clearly means there will be three more. — Hyphens seem to be out of fashion, but I think they're jolly handy and deserve to be used more! (And if everyone used them, then ‘the fourth last time’ would clearly mean that it follows three other last times.)
– gidds
16 hours ago
1
@gidds A hyphen does indeed disambiguate, but I doubt the asker is submitting jokes to their room-mate in writing.
– David Richerby
15 hours ago
1
@DavidRicherby: Seeing how people these days use their phones to type messages to people in the same room, it wouldn't surprise me! But even in speech, you can hint at hyphenation in your rhythm and timing. (In ‘fourth-last’, the ‘last’ would follow more quickly and with less emphasis than in ‘fourth last’.) After all, punctuation developed as a way of capturing the pauses, emphases, &c of spoken language, and only more recently acquired semantic significance.
– gidds
15 hours ago
add a comment |
I would always say 4th to last time.
"Fourth last time" sounds like it's the 4th time you're saying it for the last time.
New contributor
3
I was just about to say the same - to completely avoid ambiguity, 'fourth to last time'
– Smock
18 hours ago
3
That's where a hyphen would remove the ambiguity: ‘the fourth-last time’ clearly means there will be three more. — Hyphens seem to be out of fashion, but I think they're jolly handy and deserve to be used more! (And if everyone used them, then ‘the fourth last time’ would clearly mean that it follows three other last times.)
– gidds
16 hours ago
1
@gidds A hyphen does indeed disambiguate, but I doubt the asker is submitting jokes to their room-mate in writing.
– David Richerby
15 hours ago
1
@DavidRicherby: Seeing how people these days use their phones to type messages to people in the same room, it wouldn't surprise me! But even in speech, you can hint at hyphenation in your rhythm and timing. (In ‘fourth-last’, the ‘last’ would follow more quickly and with less emphasis than in ‘fourth last’.) After all, punctuation developed as a way of capturing the pauses, emphases, &c of spoken language, and only more recently acquired semantic significance.
– gidds
15 hours ago
add a comment |
I would always say 4th to last time.
"Fourth last time" sounds like it's the 4th time you're saying it for the last time.
New contributor
I would always say 4th to last time.
"Fourth last time" sounds like it's the 4th time you're saying it for the last time.
New contributor
edited 6 hours ago
Kat
36718
36718
New contributor
answered 18 hours ago
lewkirlewkir
1512
1512
New contributor
New contributor
3
I was just about to say the same - to completely avoid ambiguity, 'fourth to last time'
– Smock
18 hours ago
3
That's where a hyphen would remove the ambiguity: ‘the fourth-last time’ clearly means there will be three more. — Hyphens seem to be out of fashion, but I think they're jolly handy and deserve to be used more! (And if everyone used them, then ‘the fourth last time’ would clearly mean that it follows three other last times.)
– gidds
16 hours ago
1
@gidds A hyphen does indeed disambiguate, but I doubt the asker is submitting jokes to their room-mate in writing.
– David Richerby
15 hours ago
1
@DavidRicherby: Seeing how people these days use their phones to type messages to people in the same room, it wouldn't surprise me! But even in speech, you can hint at hyphenation in your rhythm and timing. (In ‘fourth-last’, the ‘last’ would follow more quickly and with less emphasis than in ‘fourth last’.) After all, punctuation developed as a way of capturing the pauses, emphases, &c of spoken language, and only more recently acquired semantic significance.
– gidds
15 hours ago
add a comment |
3
I was just about to say the same - to completely avoid ambiguity, 'fourth to last time'
– Smock
18 hours ago
3
That's where a hyphen would remove the ambiguity: ‘the fourth-last time’ clearly means there will be three more. — Hyphens seem to be out of fashion, but I think they're jolly handy and deserve to be used more! (And if everyone used them, then ‘the fourth last time’ would clearly mean that it follows three other last times.)
– gidds
16 hours ago
1
@gidds A hyphen does indeed disambiguate, but I doubt the asker is submitting jokes to their room-mate in writing.
– David Richerby
15 hours ago
1
@DavidRicherby: Seeing how people these days use their phones to type messages to people in the same room, it wouldn't surprise me! But even in speech, you can hint at hyphenation in your rhythm and timing. (In ‘fourth-last’, the ‘last’ would follow more quickly and with less emphasis than in ‘fourth last’.) After all, punctuation developed as a way of capturing the pauses, emphases, &c of spoken language, and only more recently acquired semantic significance.
– gidds
15 hours ago
3
3
I was just about to say the same - to completely avoid ambiguity, 'fourth to last time'
– Smock
18 hours ago
I was just about to say the same - to completely avoid ambiguity, 'fourth to last time'
– Smock
18 hours ago
3
3
That's where a hyphen would remove the ambiguity: ‘the fourth-last time’ clearly means there will be three more. — Hyphens seem to be out of fashion, but I think they're jolly handy and deserve to be used more! (And if everyone used them, then ‘the fourth last time’ would clearly mean that it follows three other last times.)
– gidds
16 hours ago
That's where a hyphen would remove the ambiguity: ‘the fourth-last time’ clearly means there will be three more. — Hyphens seem to be out of fashion, but I think they're jolly handy and deserve to be used more! (And if everyone used them, then ‘the fourth last time’ would clearly mean that it follows three other last times.)
– gidds
16 hours ago
1
1
@gidds A hyphen does indeed disambiguate, but I doubt the asker is submitting jokes to their room-mate in writing.
– David Richerby
15 hours ago
@gidds A hyphen does indeed disambiguate, but I doubt the asker is submitting jokes to their room-mate in writing.
– David Richerby
15 hours ago
1
1
@DavidRicherby: Seeing how people these days use their phones to type messages to people in the same room, it wouldn't surprise me! But even in speech, you can hint at hyphenation in your rhythm and timing. (In ‘fourth-last’, the ‘last’ would follow more quickly and with less emphasis than in ‘fourth last’.) After all, punctuation developed as a way of capturing the pauses, emphases, &c of spoken language, and only more recently acquired semantic significance.
– gidds
15 hours ago
@DavidRicherby: Seeing how people these days use their phones to type messages to people in the same room, it wouldn't surprise me! But even in speech, you can hint at hyphenation in your rhythm and timing. (In ‘fourth-last’, the ‘last’ would follow more quickly and with less emphasis than in ‘fourth last’.) After all, punctuation developed as a way of capturing the pauses, emphases, &c of spoken language, and only more recently acquired semantic significance.
– gidds
15 hours ago
add a comment |
Yes, if after saying this, you will, or are planning to, do the same thing 3 more times, then you can definitely say, "Sorry, this was like the 4th last time I do this", or more like "4th last time I plan to do this."
I see nothing wrong with the use of "4th last time" here.
New contributor
add a comment |
Yes, if after saying this, you will, or are planning to, do the same thing 3 more times, then you can definitely say, "Sorry, this was like the 4th last time I do this", or more like "4th last time I plan to do this."
I see nothing wrong with the use of "4th last time" here.
New contributor
add a comment |
Yes, if after saying this, you will, or are planning to, do the same thing 3 more times, then you can definitely say, "Sorry, this was like the 4th last time I do this", or more like "4th last time I plan to do this."
I see nothing wrong with the use of "4th last time" here.
New contributor
Yes, if after saying this, you will, or are planning to, do the same thing 3 more times, then you can definitely say, "Sorry, this was like the 4th last time I do this", or more like "4th last time I plan to do this."
I see nothing wrong with the use of "4th last time" here.
New contributor
New contributor
answered yesterday
Bella SwanBella Swan
7579
7579
New contributor
New contributor
add a comment |
add a comment |
I read the statement "this is like the 4th last time I do this."
to mean you have stated "this is the last time I do this"
three times already.
Unless you have said this three times, then I would say you are not using the word "4th"
correctly in this manner.
If you are trying to say "I am only doing this three more times"
, then you could say the phrase "sorry, I have to do this three more times."
New contributor
4
Wrong. "Fourth last" (or "Nth last") is as common as second-last or third-last. It's completely obvious that "fourth-last" has the same meaning as second-last, third-last, etc.
– Fattie
19 hours ago
4
although "this is like the 4th 'last time' I do this" would mean it has already been the 'last time' 3 times already
– Smock
18 hours ago
add a comment |
I read the statement "this is like the 4th last time I do this."
to mean you have stated "this is the last time I do this"
three times already.
Unless you have said this three times, then I would say you are not using the word "4th"
correctly in this manner.
If you are trying to say "I am only doing this three more times"
, then you could say the phrase "sorry, I have to do this three more times."
New contributor
4
Wrong. "Fourth last" (or "Nth last") is as common as second-last or third-last. It's completely obvious that "fourth-last" has the same meaning as second-last, third-last, etc.
– Fattie
19 hours ago
4
although "this is like the 4th 'last time' I do this" would mean it has already been the 'last time' 3 times already
– Smock
18 hours ago
add a comment |
I read the statement "this is like the 4th last time I do this."
to mean you have stated "this is the last time I do this"
three times already.
Unless you have said this three times, then I would say you are not using the word "4th"
correctly in this manner.
If you are trying to say "I am only doing this three more times"
, then you could say the phrase "sorry, I have to do this three more times."
New contributor
I read the statement "this is like the 4th last time I do this."
to mean you have stated "this is the last time I do this"
three times already.
Unless you have said this three times, then I would say you are not using the word "4th"
correctly in this manner.
If you are trying to say "I am only doing this three more times"
, then you could say the phrase "sorry, I have to do this three more times."
New contributor
New contributor
answered yesterday
medicine_manmedicine_man
1585
1585
New contributor
New contributor
4
Wrong. "Fourth last" (or "Nth last") is as common as second-last or third-last. It's completely obvious that "fourth-last" has the same meaning as second-last, third-last, etc.
– Fattie
19 hours ago
4
although "this is like the 4th 'last time' I do this" would mean it has already been the 'last time' 3 times already
– Smock
18 hours ago
add a comment |
4
Wrong. "Fourth last" (or "Nth last") is as common as second-last or third-last. It's completely obvious that "fourth-last" has the same meaning as second-last, third-last, etc.
– Fattie
19 hours ago
4
although "this is like the 4th 'last time' I do this" would mean it has already been the 'last time' 3 times already
– Smock
18 hours ago
4
4
Wrong. "Fourth last" (or "Nth last") is as common as second-last or third-last. It's completely obvious that "fourth-last" has the same meaning as second-last, third-last, etc.
– Fattie
19 hours ago
Wrong. "Fourth last" (or "Nth last") is as common as second-last or third-last. It's completely obvious that "fourth-last" has the same meaning as second-last, third-last, etc.
– Fattie
19 hours ago
4
4
although "this is like the 4th 'last time' I do this" would mean it has already been the 'last time' 3 times already
– Smock
18 hours ago
although "this is like the 4th 'last time' I do this" would mean it has already been the 'last time' 3 times already
– Smock
18 hours ago
add a comment |
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2
If you wanted to be obtusely verbose about it, you could say "this is my preantepenultimate move." :-)
– Hellion
18 hours ago
2
Expect a response along the lines of “my days of not taking you seriously are certainly coming to a middle”.
– Roman Odaisky
15 hours ago