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How can 12:00 be AM or PM?

kenny

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12:00 is when it changes between AM and PM.
For that reason the instant of 12:00 cannot be either AM and PM.

It's always bugged that noon is called 12:00 PM, and midnight called 12:00 AM.

Why don't they just drop the AM PM designations, and call them noon and midnight?

It's difficult for me to memorize things that are without reason.
My brain has a filter.
If it doesn't make sense, it doesn't get in.
 
Last edited:

Matata

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People argue about this stuff: https://www.theguardian.com/notesandqueries/query/0,,-1752,00.html

"a.m." means "ante meridiem" which means "before midday" and p.m. means "post meridiem", which means "after midday". Consequently to use am/pm to refer to midday, (12noon) is simply wrong (and similarly midnight). The correct terms are 12 noon and 12 midnight, with times in between using am/pm.
 

Karl_K

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I used to work a job where the shifts were 12 to 12 we had people show up at the wrong time all the time.
So they changed the shifts to 12:30am to 12:30pm and 12:30pm to 12:30am.
 

GliderPoss

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I always refer to it as midday for that exact reason!
 

Snowdrop13

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24 hour clock has always made more sense to me, maybe that’s just a European thing? Like the metric system?
 

dk168

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11:59:59 is AM, therefore 12:00:00 is PM.

Similarly, 11:59:59 PM, therefore 12:00:00 is AM.

:confused:

I am used to the 24h clock having worked in manufacturing facilities that operated 24h around the clock to avoid confusion.

DK :))
 

missy

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12:00 is when it changes between AM and PM.
For that reason the instant of 12:00 cannot be either AM and PM.

It's always bugged that noon is called 12:00 PM, and midnight called 12:00 AM.

Why don't they just drop the AM PM designations, and call them noon and midnight?

It's difficult for me to memorize things that are without reason.
My brain has a filter.
If it doesn't make sense, it doesn't get in.

This is the stuff that I think about too. I agree it would be better calling it noon or midnight.

And what the heck is High noon? Besides a movie with Grace Kelly and Gary Cooper.

highnoon.jpg
 

doberman

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It's the Schrödinger's cat of timekeeping.
 

missy

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chrono

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We need a clock that goes from 1 to 24, so there's no confusion!
 

Arcadian

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Well, depending on where you work, or your background, military time or 24 hour clock. Its what I grew up using.

in my world
12:00 is noon
24:00 (or 0000)is midnight
12:01 is after noon
24:01 is after midnight


when I code I use these.
 

JPie

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This is why I prefer military time. Whenever I put together travel itineraries, I always do it in military time so there's zero confusion about A.M. vs. P.M.
 

lyra

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My husband and daughter use military time. I'm always converting in my head. I am fine using whatever system, doesn't matter to me. I probably say noon and midnight, but I"m comfortable with am/pm too. I haven't put thought into it since I was a kid just learning how to tell time. Remember analog clocks, lol.
 
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