A decade by any other name is just not British

From: David A Harvey, Linkswood Avenue, Doncaster.

ALTHOUGH the presenters on British radio and television insist on saying “Twenty Twelve” for the year, everybody I hear is saying “Two thousand and twelve”.

Why do we feel uncomfortable with “Twenty Twelve”? It’s not because it’s American because we gladly accept and take on Yankspeak all the time.

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It’s quite simple really. In the UK we only count in hundreds up to two thousand while our American “overlords” count up to ten thousand in hundreds. For example you´ll hear Americans say “thirty five hundred dollars”.

So listen to the people BBC et al and let’s at least once stay British!

From: Keith Jowett, Woodland Rise, Silkstone Common, Barnsley.

AT the start of another year, I was reflecting with my wife that we have both lived in part or the whole of nine decades.

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I listed the decades beginning with the 30s, through the 40 etc to the present, but stopped short in my list with the noughties, and was not even sure if this name was correct for the decade from 2001 to 2010.

For the decade from 2011, we do not appear to have a name as yet. There seems to be no equivalent from the 20th century, when the world was probably too occupied with the horrors of the Great War.

My only suggestion is the teenties, but I am sure your readers can suggest a better alternative.