ArcaMax

A good friend of mine wonders about this sentence from a billing statement she received: "Beginning in April of 2025, your payment date will be moved forward from April 19 to April 26." She asks, "Shouldn't 'moved forward' be 'moved back'"?

(In raising this question, she perhaps becomes the first person in history to ever question a notice telling her she has MORE time to pay her bill.)

Here's a case in which two words that usually have opposite meanings actually mean the same thing. Nevertheless, "back" is the better choice.

For instance, if I announced to my class, "I've decided to move the due date of the humongous research paper back," shrieks of joy would undoubtedly fill the classroom.

But if I announced, "I've decided to move the due date forward," I'd be greeted with shrieks of protest.

Even though the adverb "forward" can sometimes indicate advancing into the future, e.g., "Let's look forward," it usually means "moving closer in time" (earlier), e.g., "They've moved the deadline forward from December to July." Oh no!

Meanwhile, the adverb "back," even though it can sometimes indicate going back in time (earlier), e.g., "Let's look back at the 1950s," it usually means "moving further away in time" (later), e.g., "They've pushed the July deadline back to December." Yeah!

Enough back and forth! When discussing time, I'd avoid "forward" and "back" altogether and stick to more precise words such as "earlier" and "later."

Another pair of adjectives that cause confusion when used with time are "this" and "next." If on Sunday, May 1, you say, "I'll see you next Saturday," do you mean I'll see you on Saturday, May 7, or on Saturday, May 14?

Purists insist that "next" always means the day of the week following the upcoming one (Saturday, May 14), not the day of the week immediately upcoming (Saturday, May 7). That's because "next" denotes something that is subsequent to something else. In this case, "next" means "subsequent to this Saturday, May 7."

This all sounds fine on paper, but when someone tells you on a Sunday (or on a Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday), "I'll see you next Saturday," it's hard to resist thinking of the upcoming Saturday.

To avoid sitting in a restaurant waiting for a date who never shows up -- "I thought you meant NEXT Saturday!" -- clarify your ambiguous "next" by specifying the date.

This will make your rendezvous a "date" in more ways than one.

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Rob Kyff, a teacher and writer in West Hartford, Connecticut, invites your language sightings. His book, "Mark My Words," is available for $9.99 on Amazon.com. Send your reports of misuse and abuse, as well as examples of good writing, via email to WordGuy@aol.com or by regular mail to Rob Kyff, Creators Syndicate, 737 3rd Street, Hermosa Beach, CA 90254.

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