Klavier  +  185031 Tue, 17 Jan 06 11:09 PM Hello. The meeting will begin at two o'clock sharp. I have seen this expression, and I'd like to know if you consider it as redundant. I was taught that o'clock should be translated as en punto, but sharp would be en punto as well. Klavier Joined on Thu, Sep 23 2004 Chile Full Member 357 "If I have seen further, it is by standing upon the shoulders of giants" Isaac Newton

	Archaic  +  185042 Tue, 17 Jan 06 11:33 PM In logic it is redundant: in practice it is not. Two o'clock means generally "in the area of two o'clock," so that we often need the adverb sharp to clarify. Archaic Joined on Fri, Jan 13 2006 Oxfordshire New Member 25 Verbs, Adverbs

	Clive  +  185044 Tue, 17 Jan 06 11:34 PM Hi, The meeting will begin at two o'clock sharp. 'sharp' here stresses 'exactly, so don't be even a minute or two late.'  Another common term is The meeting will begin at two o'clock on the dot. Best wishes, Clive Clive Joined on Thu, Oct 28 2004 Canada Veteran Member 29,585 El tango argentino es un pensamiento triste que se puede bailar (The tango argentino is a sad thought which can be danced) Enrique Santos Discépolo

	Ivantalk  +  185195 Wed, 18 Jan 06 08:31 AM  Latin wrote: Hello. The meeting will begin at two o'clock sharp. I have seen this expression, and I'd like to know if you consider it as redundant. I was taught that o'clock should be translated as en punto, but sharp would be en punto as well. I think there's nobody to say it in a such redundant way. I only heard people to say "10 sharp" or "10 o'clock" "10 sharp" is AmE and "10 o'clock" is BrE in my opinion. Ivantalk Joined on Tue, Jan 17 2006 QuanZhou, Fujian Province, China New Member 33 Have your heard of HuaQiao University? I can tell you that it's my university.

	milky  +  185202 Wed, 18 Jan 06 09:02 AM  Ivantalk wrote:  Latin wrote: Hello. The meeting will begin at two o'clock sharp. I have seen this expression, and I'd like to know if you consider it as redundant. I was taught that o'clock should be translated as en punto, but sharp would be en punto as well. I think there's nobody to say it in a such redundant way. I'm a native speaker. Believe me, many people say "10 o'clock sharp". It's a way to be sure that the listener will not misinterpret things. Do you ever hear/say "10 o'clock precisely" or "it's precisely 10 o'clock"? If you do, and you understand it, then you'll also know why people say "10 o'clock sharp". milky Joined on Thu, Jan 15 2004 Senior Member 3,149 Hume said that if we had perfect or complete descriptive knowledge of reality, we could not, by reasoning, derive a single valid "ought".

	nona the brit  +  185390 Wed, 18 Jan 06 05:00 PM It is common to say o'clock sharp or o'clock on the dot. It is a way of emphasising that you must be punctual. Do not even be one minute late. In fact, you'd better get there before 2 o'clock so that you have time to come in, find a seat, grab a coffee, say hi to people and all shut up and be ready to start the business of the meeting at 2. If you just told someone there is a meeting at 2, they would wander in around that time and the actual meeting wouldn't really start for another 10 or 15 minutes. nona the brit Joined on Wed, Sep 22 2004 England Veteran Member 11,713 The name says it all.