• iconNews
  • videos
  • entertainment
  • Home
  • News
    • UK News
    • US News
    • Australia
    • Ireland
    • World News
    • Weird News
    • Viral News
    • Sport
    • Technology
    • Science
    • True Crime
    • Travel
  • Entertainment
    • Celebrity
    • TV & Film
    • Netflix
    • Music
    • Gaming
    • TikTok
  • LAD Originals
    • Say Maaate to a Mate
    • Daily Ladness
    • Lad Files
    • UOKM8?
    • FreeToBe
    • Extinct
    • Citizen Reef
  • Advertise
  • Terms
  • Privacy & Cookies
  • LADbible Group
  • UNILAD
  • SPORTbible
  • GAMINGbible
  • Tyla
  • UNILAD Tech
  • FOODbible
  • License Our Content
  • About Us & Contact
  • Jobs
  • Latest
  • Topics A-Z
  • Authors
Facebook
Instagram
X
Threads
Snapchat
TikTok
YouTube

LAD Entertainment

YouTube

LAD Stories

Submit Your Content
Learning what AM and PM actually mean might seriously mess with your head

Home> Community> Weird

Published 20:00 16 Apr 2024 GMT+1

Learning what AM and PM actually mean might seriously mess with your head

It gets more confusing the more you think about it

Jess Battison

Jess Battison

Once we’ve learned our numbers and letters as kids, one of the next things to come along is reading a clock.

Although there are some people who admittedly still can’t do that, we all know how to tell the time in some way.

But like many things, there’s something very important that the more you think about it, the more confusing it gets.

Advert

And learning what AM and PM actually mean might seriously mess with your head - so, prepare yourself to take this in as I wrap my own head around it enough to explain it.

Typically, we all learn that ‘am’ refers to the first half of the day, the morning, and ‘pm’ refers to the second, the afternoon to evening.

AM is basically morning. (Getty Stock Image)
AM is basically morning. (Getty Stock Image)

This is quite literally their translations in Latin, as am stands for the phrase ‘ante meridiem’ which translates to ‘before midday’. And, you guessed it, pm stands for ‘post meridiem’, ‘after midday’.

But this is where things get confusing (and pretty petty to be honest), that technically means 12am and 12pm don’t really exist. Because how can 12 be after midday when that is, well, midday?

Advert

READ MORE:

'EASY' MATHS QUESTION BAFFLES ADULTS

PEOPLE CAN'T AGREE ON ANSWER TO TIME QUESTION

That’s certainly something to try and p*ss your mates off about and wind them up over when they suggest meeting up at 12pm.

Essentially the time lords, Royal Museums Greenwich (home of Greenwich Mean Time) say that it’s just ‘technically not quite right’.

Advert

Instead, it recommends: “To avoid any confusion (and to make sure you arrive on time), it might be best to say 12 noon or 12 midnight instead.”

It can get confusing. (Getty Stock Image)
It can get confusing. (Getty Stock Image)

Or, you know, you could go all military and use the 24-hour clock with 0:00 being midnight and 12:00 being midday. But let’s face it, you’d get ripped into shreds in the group chat for asking to meet up at 17:30.

Even then, there’s a whole other headache of should midnight be 0:00 or 24:00? But I think that one can be left for you to decide yourself.

Although, some people are too busy getting bothered about which way around the am and pm should be rather than realising it isn’t ‘technically’ correct at all.

Advert

One user wrote on X: “The am/pm distinctions for 12:00 are backwards and it upsets me. It should go from 12am to 1 pm.

“The fact the it goes from 11pm to 12 am is disgraceful. We should be ashamed. (Honestly military time makes the most sense but I’m not ready for that conversation).”

Featured Image Credit: Getty Stock Images

Topics: Weird

Jess Battison
Jess Battison

Jess is a Senior Journalist with a love of all things pop culture. Her main interests include asking everyone in the office what they're having for tea, waiting for a new series of The Traitors and losing her voice at a Beyoncé concert. She graduated with a first in Journalism from City, University of London in 2021.

X

@jessbattison_

Advert

Advert

Advert

Choose your content:

a day ago
  • a day ago

    Every time Melania Trump has sparked 'body double' conspiracy as recent clip reignites theory

    Some people are convinced she's not the real Melania

    Community
  • a day ago

    Melania and Donald Trump both responded to 'body double' conspiracy as recent clip reignites theory

    Will the real First Lady please stand up

    Community
  • a day ago

    Melania Trump ‘body double’ conspiracy theory sparked after people spot what she did at parade

    The great Melania Trump conspiracy theory lives on

    Community
  • a day ago

    Son of man who shot his brother’s karate instructor live on TV shares important detail 40 years later

    Gary Plauché waited in disguise before shooting Jeffrey Doucet

    Community
  • Therapists explain why you might be 'toxic independent' and how it can seriously impact your life
  • People gobsmacked after learning what faint dark line that appears on their belly actually is
  • What causes bizarre twitch in your eye that's hard to explain and when to seek medical help
  • Paranormal investigators list 5 key signs your home might be haunted