Why do Americans write their dates down backwards?

[neoman10]

what? I do dd/mm/yyyy. Am I different?

 

[Gadzooks]

It fits phonetically, we speak the date "april 5, 2010" so we write it "04/05/10"

That's another strange thing, because over here most people seem to say "... on the 5th of April" rather than "... on April 5th", so each way probably makes more sense (phonetically) to its own countrymen.

 

[wordsmith]

Seriously, why are we the only country that drives on the right side of the road

Uh, sir? Most of Europe disagrees with you on that one....

 

[Daipire]

The month is more valuable then the day. The day can be at 12 different points, while the month is a specific range, thus more precise.

That is bull honkey!
Why would you give a poop about what month it is, when you ask someone the date you want the day, unless you've been in a coma for x amount of time and have no possible estimate as to what the month is. In holidays I lose track of the time, the day, and the date. But at least i know what month it is.

And as for more precise, whaaaa? thats like saying "its precise to say it's 15 minutes past 5, then 5:15" it's the same thing.

Americans like to think they're special, and i heard somewhere that some countries drive on the wrong side to throw off invaders, not sure about if that works, or if it's right though.b

 

[Daipire]

Plus we have to be different from those Brits how dare they levy taxes and force us to buy tea

http://www.cracked.com/article_18442_5-reasons-founding-fathers-were-kind-dicks_p2.html

 

[Dark Angel Warlord]

we are usa we can do whatever we want......... dont like it
( raspberry ) PHTTTTTTTTTTT!

 

[MelziGurl]

I write dates the way I say them. 6 April, 2010 and when it's done any other way it confuses the fuck out of me. It's the same for pretty much everyone else I know.

 

[ayuri]

why do u write yours backwards sdrawkcab sruoy etirw u od yhw...oh thats why

 

[la-le-lu-li-lo]

Why is your face backwards, huh?!

[small]That was juvenile... I apologize.[/small]

:coughs: Because we're America.

 

[One of Many]

Well I grew up hearing the date said as month-day-year (like say April 5th, 1989, my birthday) and thus I write it out like so.

Oh and on the subject of the metric system, To Hell With It! I learned standard and I'm not learning a new way to measure things to suit you. Why don't you learn standard?

 

[Milney]

Isn't driving on the left a throwback from the bygone days of horse and carts, so that your sword arm was always at the ready?

Indeed.

So I guess you could argue that the convention of driving on the right emerged to show that you meant no harm to other road users, as your sword arm was on the "outside" of the road.

 

[yoyo13rom]

Americans do a lot of shit backwards for no apparent reason.

Seriously, why are we the only country that drives on the right side of the road, write dates month, day, year and don't use the metric system?

Yeah, I still can't find a good reason for them not using the metric system. I mean, it's an international conventional system for a reason, no?!

 

[yoyo13rom]

Why do we write our dates backwards?
Why do you Brits drive on the WRONG side of the road?

Okay, okay. I'm kidding. For the record, I'm an American and I write my dates dd/mm/yyyy. And there's no wrong side to the road. For all we know, the U.K. might have it right when everyone else is wrong.

It's all just relative.

Actually it all depends on witch side the wheel is on(so you can have more visibility when you're passing someone).
But believe me the "right way" is the one that won't get you killed on the road.

 

[Nihilism_Is_Bliss]

grr, i support the 'u' in colour. americans! spell things how you like, however stop spreqading the strange spelling disease into english speaking countries!

 

[skeliton112]

Well the ausie way is the same as the brits and i think it makes sense. It goes from most presise to least, like .o0 when the yanks do it like o.0

 

[rabidmidget]

While we're on this topic

ITS ALUMINIUM DAMMIT!

 

[Samurai Goomba]

C'est le 6 Avril.

I actually prefer the Euro way of listing dates. It's sort of listed by most relevant information. Day, month then year. Most people know what month and year it is, so might as well have the important part first.

 

[benjtfell]

This has just become one massive TROLL. Anyway go England.

 

[Soxafloppin]

Because its too late for them to change it, i guess.