I require clarification on the social etiquette in regards to the suffix "...or so". For example, when someone tells me they're going to meet me in "An hour", that means they're going to meet me in an hour, and any later than that is a breach of contract. If they arrive earlier, that's great, but then if I don't show up until an hour later, I cannot be held liable for any waiting taken on their part. May not be mutually satisfying, but is clear who is at fault in either case.
However, it has become a more standard practice to affix a time estimate with "...or so", to indicate that there is no guarantee that said meetup will take place in exactly an hour. But this leaves the issue of liability far less defined -- at what point is someone to be considered late? If I arrive in an hour, and they arrive after an hour and a half, is that still within the constraints of "...or so"? Or are they in fact deserving of the punch in the face that I so want to give them? Similarly, if they show up in 50 minutes, and have to wait 20 minutes for me to arrive after an hour ten, am I at fault?
This is becoming a more and more common occurrence, and the lack of clearly defined boundaries are making social interaction difficult. Please provide enlightenment if you are able.
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Anonymous2009-08-30 19:23
Peoples lives shouldn't be ruled by a clock.
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Anonymous2009-08-30 19:27
It's just a wait of saying that the event will not take place at a strict time and that they're prepared to be flexible with when it will happen. They either don't know or don't care. If they're being lazy then they will probably be late, if they are on drugs or drunk it probably means before.
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Anonymous2009-08-31 3:39
>>2
We invented clocks for a reason. If I want to meet up with someone, it's much more likely to happen if we mutually agree on a specified time rather than just expecting the both of us to coincidentally show up in the same place at the same time.
>>5
I only know one other person. And he only hangs out with me because I'm the only person desperate enough to put up with him chronically being hours late for every meeting.
>>12
Wapanese/weeaboos type stuff like "wwwwwwwwwwww" in place of "lolololol". So you're just as >>8 described. Though 4chan was founded upon such nonsense anyway, so whatever.
>>23
...but then, he was traumatised when he used a question mark in ``I big anus that can talk, and feel?'', a confession of being an anus. And he vowed never to use it again, severely crippling his language tool repertoire.