Bi-weekly.... huh?

[Luxury]

So an email at work came to me today stating something about having meetings bi-weekly.  Me and a coworker discuss, and have done a bit of research online and have come to the conclustion that 'bi-weekly' is probably one of the stupidest words there is.  Why?  Because it has two definitions which are completely opposite of each other.  

1. Happening every two weeks.
2. Happening twice a week; semiweekly.

So what's the deal?

I only bring this up because of the previous "moot point" thread.  

[JoyMonkey]

I always thought bi-weekly was twice a week. Every two weeks is fortnightly.

Must be another word that American-English has bastardized.

[abrannan]

I always thought bi-weekly was twice a week. Every two weeks is fortnightly.

Must be another word that American-English has bastardized.

Fortnight?  Most Americans don't even know what that word means.  Unless you had my Physics professor, who made you convert all velocities to furlongs per fortnight.

/had the bi-weekly discussion at work a few weeks ago.

[Luxury]

I think that originally bi-weekly was equal to fortnightly.  Every 2 weeks.  And I think that is the common usage.  At least in the US.  

I swear that when I form my own company, I am going to do everything I possibly can to confuse the hell out of my employees as I watch from my lair on my multiple monitors and laugh like a maniac.  I swear my work is doing the exact same thing to me.  

[Dartful Dodger]

I thought it was a weekly meeting for people who liked both sexes.

[Santoro]

Means Every Other week where I come from.  

Must be another word that American-English has bastardized.

If by 'bastardized' you mean 'modernized and enhanced,' I agree completely.  

[crashwg]

My GF gets paid "bi-weekly" and unfortunatly It's not the twice weekly version...

[cdbrown]

bi-weekly = twice-weekly very simple

crashwg - I think you're GF needs to go speak to the payroll people and get them to rectify this problem as she must be only getting paid 1/4 of what she's owed.  Damn stingey accounts people.

Fortnightly is easy - every fourteen nights = 2 weeks.  Not sure why they dropped the "u" unless it followed the same rule as forty.

Now semiweekly - I would think that means having one meeting in the middle of the week, it it's supposed to happen once a week but sometimes we miss it.  Just like when people say they are felling semi-OK.  But maybe this is an Aussie thing.

[danny_galaga]

sometimes i have a semi, does that count  

[fredster]

bi meaning 2
weeks meaning weeks

every two weeks

The real problem is bi-monthly

It should be every two months yet it means 1/2 month.

The 15th and the last day.

That's the confusing one.

[Apollo]

Bi-weekly means twice a week now stop arguing!

[Crazy Cooter]

This should have been a poll.

bi-weekly = 2 weeks time.