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Lcchang Posted 11 years ago
Grammar

quarter of four

Today I learned from a grammar book saying that in time "a quarter of four" equals to"a quarter to four". To find out more, I decided to google it and found that some native speakers never heard about it before. Only people living in the Mid-West, especially California say they heard that from their grandparents, or it was used before the digital era. Ok, so I would just like to ask, for curiosity, what does the word "of" mean here? I still can't understand why "a quarter of four" has something to do with "3:45". Please help.
  

Top answer

See entry #13. 13. S.

— AlpheccaStars

  • See entry #13.
  • 13.
  • S.
  • before the hour of; until: twenty minutes of five.
  • ) The time is a distance of 20 minutes away from 5.
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30 Answers
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See entry #13.

13. Chiefly Northern U.S. before the hour of; until: twenty minutes of five.

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/OF?r=66

The expression probably originates from entry #1: (used to indicate distance or direction from, separation, deprivation,etc.)
The
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Here, a quarter of means a quarter to.
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Lcchang Today I learned from a grammar book saying that in time "a quarter of four" equals to"a quarter to four". To find out more, I decided to google it and found that some native speakers never heard about it before. Only people living in the Mid-West, especially California say they heard that from their grandparents, or it was used before the digital era. Ok, so I wou
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AnonymousIt's meaningless everywhere else.
I, a speaker of BrE, would never say a quarter of four, but I would have no problems in understanding it.
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Anonymousit's limited to particular regions of the USA
The US has many regional dialects. So does Great Britain.
But these local languages are, in the main, mutually comprehensible.
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AnonymousIt's weird. According to your question and another answer, it's limited to particular regions of the USA.It's meaningless everywhere else.
I am very sure that in the western United States, 3:45 in the afternoon is spoken as " three -forty five", or " a quarter to four. I've lived here all my life and I have never heard anyone say " quarter of four " t
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Anonymous In fact it means 15 minute past 4., or "four-fifteen".
"quarter of four". does not mean "quarter past/after four". Of /before is opposite to past/after. Read the dictionary entry.

I have heard it used (Eastern US).
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AlpheccaStarsThe US has many regional dialects. So does Great Britain.But these local languages are, in the main, mutually comprehensible.
In other words, it's part of regional dialects in the US and therefore, not part of the English spoken everywhere else.
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AlpheccaStars"quarter of four". does not mean "quarter past/after four". Of /before is opposite to past/after. Read the dictionary entry.
Thanks, I stand corrected. This time expression is so rarely heard in this part of US that based on the meaning of the usual "of", I always thought it goes with the complement, like " this document is something of great i
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AnonymousIn other words, it's part of regional dialects in the US and therefore, not part of the English spoken everywhere else.
Yes, that would be an appropriate assumption.
It might be interesting to know how many other ways spoken time is broadcast. It assumes one is familiar with the clock face. Many, these days, are only acquainted with digital wa
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