Turn of the century

Shadow_Ferret · May 16, 2009

OK. "Turn of the century" used to mean when the 19th Century became the 20th Century. Now, however, since we've moved to the 21st Century, what comes to mind?

I'm asking because I was going to write "it was a turn of the century building" meaning from over 100 years ago, but will it cause confusion using that phrase today?

IceCreamEmpress · May 16, 2009

I stopped using "turn of the century" to mean "ca. 1900" around 2000, because of the potential for confusion.

I now say "Edwardian" or "Belle Epoque" or "late 19th century" or "early 20th century," or just give the actual year.

But that's me.

Ludka · May 16, 2009

I agree with IceCream. "Late 19th century" or "early 20th century" sounds just as good and gets rid of any potential confusion.

melaniehoo · May 16, 2009

Like they said, I'd refer to it as the actual time frame, the same way you would a building from any other era. As a reader, I wouldn't know what Belle Epoque means, so late 19th, etc, would work for me.

Chase · May 16, 2009

"Turn of the century" was way back on January 1 of ought-ought-one. Hardly a man is now alive who remembers that famous day and year, almost eight and a half years ago.

Shadow_Ferret · May 16, 2009

melaniehoo said:
As a reader, I wouldn't know what Belle Epoque means, so late 19th, etc, would work for me.

Yeah, I don't know what that means either.

*sigh* Too bad. Turn of the century has a nice ring to it.

Guess I could just say "over a hunnert years ago."

Dawnstorm · May 16, 2009

Turn of the previous century?

Turn of the century past?

Turn of the century a century ago? (Say that to a 6/8 beat, heh)

AliceWrites · May 17, 2009

Turn of the last century?

I think if reading in context, people would get a feel for what you are referring to, as long as you had other pointers in place. Don't see it would be a problem.

IMHO.

Kath

donroc · May 17, 2009

Even Gay Nineties may be a problem for the young'ns.

IceCreamEmpress · May 17, 2009

melaniehoo said:
Like they said, I'd refer to it as the actual time frame, the same way you would a building from any other era. As a reader, I wouldn't know what Belle Epoque means, so late 19th, etc, would work for me.

Yep, obviously the choice of synonym would vary with the audience. What works in an antiques trade magazine isn't necessarily going to work in a novel--good point!

AliceWrites · May 17, 2009

Strangest thing. I am currently in the middle of a rewrite, and when I picked up my rough draft just now, I realized I'd done the same thing when giving background to my story. The sentence reads:

He had made his fortune in trade at the turn of the century.

But. The story is set in 1939, so would the phrase automatically render the turn of the century to mean the beginning of the twentieth century?

...and I would never have given it a second thought had I not read this thread first. Ignorance, as they say ...

melaniehoo · May 17, 2009

KathPeters said:
Strangest thing. I am currently in the middle of a rewrite, and when I picked up my rough draft just now, I realized I'd done the same thing when giving background to my story. The sentence reads:

But. The story is set in 1939, so would the phrase automatically render the turn of the century to mean the beginning of the twentieth century?

...and I would never have given it a second thought had I not read this thread first. Ignorance, as they say ...

Kath, I think you're fine since the book is set is in 1930s. Unless you open the book with a line about the turn of the century.

AliceWrites · May 17, 2009

melaniehoo said:
Kath, I think you're fine since the book is set is in 1930s. Unless you open the book with a line about the turn of the century.

Now, that would be a book with endless possibilities.

Thanks.

ComicBent · May 17, 2009

It works like this ...

The story is set in 1939, so would the phrase automatically render the turn of the century to mean the beginning of the twentieth century?

"Turn of the century" is fine to refer to circa 1900 if a character in the 1930s is saying something about the time around 1900.

But the author, speaking as a narrator independent of the characters, can no longer use "turn of the century" to mean 1900. It always refers to the beginning of the current century.

Duncan J Macdonald · May 17, 2009

ComicBent said:
"Turn of the century" is fine to refer to circa 1900 if a character in the 1930s is saying something about the time around 1900.

But the author, speaking as a narrator independent of the characters, can no longer use "turn of the century" to mean 1900. It always refers to the beginning of the current century.

Hold on a minute. If a novel is set in the 1930's, then a reference to the "turn of the century", by either the narrator or a character refers to the time-frame circa January, 1901.

I'd expect differently if the work was non-fiction.

Turn of the century

Shadow_Ferret

Court Jester

IceCreamEmpress

Hapless Virago

Ludka

Hath more hair than wit

melaniehoo

And thus we begin the edits

Chase

It Takes All of Us to End Racism

Shadow_Ferret

Court Jester

Dawnstorm

punny user title, here

AliceWrites

Writing jazz

donroc

Historicals and Horror rule

IceCreamEmpress

Hapless Virago

AliceWrites

Writing jazz

melaniehoo

And thus we begin the edits

AliceWrites

Writing jazz

ComicBent

Duncan J Macdonald

Plotting! Not Plodding!