5

I am writing an email and wanted to refer to this coming Tuesday. The phrase "Tuesday est" popped into my mind (something Miss Marple might have said) but when I googled it I could find no reference. I have a feeling that 'est' isn't correct, but there is a word or I presume an abreviation that sounds like it that means next. Could you please tell me what it is?

Aha! I have just had a brain wave, it isn't 'est', it's 'inst'. Is that right? What does it stand for?

Improve this question
3
  • 3
    "Tuesday next" would mean the coming Tuesday.
    – JLG
    Commented Apr 8, 2012 at 4:08
  • or Tuesday week
    – mgb
    Commented Apr 8, 2012 at 4:32
  • 2
    @mgb: "Tuesday week" means the day exactly a week after the coming Tuesday.
    – Andrew Leach ♦
    Commented Apr 8, 2012 at 13:10

1 Answer 1

Reset to default
6

Inst is an abbreviation of the Latin 'instante mense', meaning the current month. Prox ('proxime mense') means next month and ult ('ultimo mense') means last month. These terms were once used in correspondence, but are used now, if at all, only by the terminally abstruse.

Improve this answer
2
  • 2
    And even then, it could not have been 'Tuesday inst', only '25th inst'.
    – Tim Lymington
    Commented Apr 8, 2012 at 11:32
  • @TimLymington: Yes, quite right.
    – Barrie England
    Commented Apr 8, 2012 at 12:02

You must log in to answer this question.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged .