does this mean what I think it means - 4th last time












3















I'm moving out of my current place in a few days. When I'm doing something a little annoying to my roommate, I joke, "sorry, this is (will be) like the 4th last time I do this", to mean that I'm only gonna do it 3 (a few) more times, so don't sweat, and forgive me. Am I using "4th last time" right?










share|improve this question




















  • 2





    If you wanted to be obtusely verbose about it, you could say "this is my preantepenultimate move." :-)

    – Hellion
    Mar 25 at 12:27






  • 2





    Expect a response along the lines of “my days of not taking you seriously are certainly coming to a middle”.

    – Roman Odaisky
    Mar 25 at 14:47
















3















I'm moving out of my current place in a few days. When I'm doing something a little annoying to my roommate, I joke, "sorry, this is (will be) like the 4th last time I do this", to mean that I'm only gonna do it 3 (a few) more times, so don't sweat, and forgive me. Am I using "4th last time" right?










share|improve this question




















  • 2





    If you wanted to be obtusely verbose about it, you could say "this is my preantepenultimate move." :-)

    – Hellion
    Mar 25 at 12:27






  • 2





    Expect a response along the lines of “my days of not taking you seriously are certainly coming to a middle”.

    – Roman Odaisky
    Mar 25 at 14:47














3












3








3


1






I'm moving out of my current place in a few days. When I'm doing something a little annoying to my roommate, I joke, "sorry, this is (will be) like the 4th last time I do this", to mean that I'm only gonna do it 3 (a few) more times, so don't sweat, and forgive me. Am I using "4th last time" right?










share|improve this question
















I'm moving out of my current place in a few days. When I'm doing something a little annoying to my roommate, I joke, "sorry, this is (will be) like the 4th last time I do this", to mean that I'm only gonna do it 3 (a few) more times, so don't sweat, and forgive me. Am I using "4th last time" right?







phrases






share|improve this question















share|improve this question













share|improve this question




share|improve this question








edited Mar 25 at 5:40







kal

















asked Mar 25 at 5:08









kalkal

364




364








  • 2





    If you wanted to be obtusely verbose about it, you could say "this is my preantepenultimate move." :-)

    – Hellion
    Mar 25 at 12:27






  • 2





    Expect a response along the lines of “my days of not taking you seriously are certainly coming to a middle”.

    – Roman Odaisky
    Mar 25 at 14:47














  • 2





    If you wanted to be obtusely verbose about it, you could say "this is my preantepenultimate move." :-)

    – Hellion
    Mar 25 at 12:27






  • 2





    Expect a response along the lines of “my days of not taking you seriously are certainly coming to a middle”.

    – Roman Odaisky
    Mar 25 at 14:47








2




2





If you wanted to be obtusely verbose about it, you could say "this is my preantepenultimate move." :-)

– Hellion
Mar 25 at 12:27





If you wanted to be obtusely verbose about it, you could say "this is my preantepenultimate move." :-)

– Hellion
Mar 25 at 12:27




2




2





Expect a response along the lines of “my days of not taking you seriously are certainly coming to a middle”.

– Roman Odaisky
Mar 25 at 14:47





Expect a response along the lines of “my days of not taking you seriously are certainly coming to a middle”.

– Roman Odaisky
Mar 25 at 14:47










3 Answers
3






active

oldest

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15














I would always say 4th to last time.



"Fourth last time" sounds like it's the 4th time you're saying it for the last time.






share|improve this answer










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  • 3





    I was just about to say the same - to completely avoid ambiguity, 'fourth to last time'

    – Smock
    Mar 25 at 12:09








  • 3





    That's where a hyphen would remove the ambiguity: ‘the fourth-last time’ clearly means there will be three more. — Hyphens seem to be out of fashion, but I think they're jolly handy and deserve to be used more! (And if everyone used them, then ‘the fourth last time’ would clearly mean that it follows three other last times.)

    – gidds
    Mar 25 at 13:45






  • 1





    @gidds A hyphen does indeed disambiguate, but I doubt the asker is submitting jokes to their room-mate in writing.

    – David Richerby
    Mar 25 at 14:44






  • 1





    @DavidRicherby: Seeing how people these days use their phones to type messages to people in the same room, it wouldn't surprise me! But even in speech, you can hint at hyphenation in your rhythm and timing. (In ‘fourth-last’, the ‘last’ would follow more quickly and with less emphasis than in ‘fourth last’.) After all, punctuation developed as a way of capturing the pauses, emphases, &c of spoken language, and only more recently acquired semantic significance.

    – gidds
    Mar 25 at 15:05



















5














Yes, if after saying this, you will, or are planning to, do the same thing 3 more times, then you can definitely say, "Sorry, this was like the 4th last time I do this", or more like "4th last time I plan to do this."



I see nothing wrong with the use of "4th last time" here.






share|improve this answer








New contributor




Bella Swan is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.




























    1














    I read the statement "this is like the 4th last time I do this." to mean you have stated "this is the last time I do this" three times already.



    Unless you have said this three times, then I would say you are not using the word "4th" correctly in this manner.



    If you are trying to say "I am only doing this three more times", then you could say the phrase "sorry, I have to do this three more times."






    share|improve this answer








    New contributor




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    • 4





      Wrong. "Fourth last" (or "Nth last") is as common as second-last or third-last. It's completely obvious that "fourth-last" has the same meaning as second-last, third-last, etc.

      – Fattie
      Mar 25 at 11:24








    • 4





      although "this is like the 4th 'last time' I do this" would mean it has already been the 'last time' 3 times already

      – Smock
      Mar 25 at 12:11












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    3 Answers
    3






    active

    oldest

    votes








    3 Answers
    3






    active

    oldest

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    active

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    active

    oldest

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    15














    I would always say 4th to last time.



    "Fourth last time" sounds like it's the 4th time you're saying it for the last time.






    share|improve this answer










    New contributor




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    Check out our Code of Conduct.
















    • 3





      I was just about to say the same - to completely avoid ambiguity, 'fourth to last time'

      – Smock
      Mar 25 at 12:09








    • 3





      That's where a hyphen would remove the ambiguity: ‘the fourth-last time’ clearly means there will be three more. — Hyphens seem to be out of fashion, but I think they're jolly handy and deserve to be used more! (And if everyone used them, then ‘the fourth last time’ would clearly mean that it follows three other last times.)

      – gidds
      Mar 25 at 13:45






    • 1





      @gidds A hyphen does indeed disambiguate, but I doubt the asker is submitting jokes to their room-mate in writing.

      – David Richerby
      Mar 25 at 14:44






    • 1





      @DavidRicherby: Seeing how people these days use their phones to type messages to people in the same room, it wouldn't surprise me! But even in speech, you can hint at hyphenation in your rhythm and timing. (In ‘fourth-last’, the ‘last’ would follow more quickly and with less emphasis than in ‘fourth last’.) After all, punctuation developed as a way of capturing the pauses, emphases, &c of spoken language, and only more recently acquired semantic significance.

      – gidds
      Mar 25 at 15:05
















    15














    I would always say 4th to last time.



    "Fourth last time" sounds like it's the 4th time you're saying it for the last time.






    share|improve this answer










    New contributor




    lewkir is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
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    • 3





      I was just about to say the same - to completely avoid ambiguity, 'fourth to last time'

      – Smock
      Mar 25 at 12:09








    • 3





      That's where a hyphen would remove the ambiguity: ‘the fourth-last time’ clearly means there will be three more. — Hyphens seem to be out of fashion, but I think they're jolly handy and deserve to be used more! (And if everyone used them, then ‘the fourth last time’ would clearly mean that it follows three other last times.)

      – gidds
      Mar 25 at 13:45






    • 1





      @gidds A hyphen does indeed disambiguate, but I doubt the asker is submitting jokes to their room-mate in writing.

      – David Richerby
      Mar 25 at 14:44






    • 1





      @DavidRicherby: Seeing how people these days use their phones to type messages to people in the same room, it wouldn't surprise me! But even in speech, you can hint at hyphenation in your rhythm and timing. (In ‘fourth-last’, the ‘last’ would follow more quickly and with less emphasis than in ‘fourth last’.) After all, punctuation developed as a way of capturing the pauses, emphases, &c of spoken language, and only more recently acquired semantic significance.

      – gidds
      Mar 25 at 15:05














    15












    15








    15







    I would always say 4th to last time.



    "Fourth last time" sounds like it's the 4th time you're saying it for the last time.






    share|improve this answer










    New contributor




    lewkir is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
    Check out our Code of Conduct.










    I would always say 4th to last time.



    "Fourth last time" sounds like it's the 4th time you're saying it for the last time.







    share|improve this answer










    New contributor




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    share|improve this answer



    share|improve this answer








    edited Mar 25 at 23:49









    Kat

    36718




    36718






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    answered Mar 25 at 12:07









    lewkirlewkir

    1512




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    • 3





      I was just about to say the same - to completely avoid ambiguity, 'fourth to last time'

      – Smock
      Mar 25 at 12:09








    • 3





      That's where a hyphen would remove the ambiguity: ‘the fourth-last time’ clearly means there will be three more. — Hyphens seem to be out of fashion, but I think they're jolly handy and deserve to be used more! (And if everyone used them, then ‘the fourth last time’ would clearly mean that it follows three other last times.)

      – gidds
      Mar 25 at 13:45






    • 1





      @gidds A hyphen does indeed disambiguate, but I doubt the asker is submitting jokes to their room-mate in writing.

      – David Richerby
      Mar 25 at 14:44






    • 1





      @DavidRicherby: Seeing how people these days use their phones to type messages to people in the same room, it wouldn't surprise me! But even in speech, you can hint at hyphenation in your rhythm and timing. (In ‘fourth-last’, the ‘last’ would follow more quickly and with less emphasis than in ‘fourth last’.) After all, punctuation developed as a way of capturing the pauses, emphases, &c of spoken language, and only more recently acquired semantic significance.

      – gidds
      Mar 25 at 15:05














    • 3





      I was just about to say the same - to completely avoid ambiguity, 'fourth to last time'

      – Smock
      Mar 25 at 12:09








    • 3





      That's where a hyphen would remove the ambiguity: ‘the fourth-last time’ clearly means there will be three more. — Hyphens seem to be out of fashion, but I think they're jolly handy and deserve to be used more! (And if everyone used them, then ‘the fourth last time’ would clearly mean that it follows three other last times.)

      – gidds
      Mar 25 at 13:45






    • 1





      @gidds A hyphen does indeed disambiguate, but I doubt the asker is submitting jokes to their room-mate in writing.

      – David Richerby
      Mar 25 at 14:44






    • 1





      @DavidRicherby: Seeing how people these days use their phones to type messages to people in the same room, it wouldn't surprise me! But even in speech, you can hint at hyphenation in your rhythm and timing. (In ‘fourth-last’, the ‘last’ would follow more quickly and with less emphasis than in ‘fourth last’.) After all, punctuation developed as a way of capturing the pauses, emphases, &c of spoken language, and only more recently acquired semantic significance.

      – gidds
      Mar 25 at 15:05








    3




    3





    I was just about to say the same - to completely avoid ambiguity, 'fourth to last time'

    – Smock
    Mar 25 at 12:09







    I was just about to say the same - to completely avoid ambiguity, 'fourth to last time'

    – Smock
    Mar 25 at 12:09






    3




    3





    That's where a hyphen would remove the ambiguity: ‘the fourth-last time’ clearly means there will be three more. — Hyphens seem to be out of fashion, but I think they're jolly handy and deserve to be used more! (And if everyone used them, then ‘the fourth last time’ would clearly mean that it follows three other last times.)

    – gidds
    Mar 25 at 13:45





    That's where a hyphen would remove the ambiguity: ‘the fourth-last time’ clearly means there will be three more. — Hyphens seem to be out of fashion, but I think they're jolly handy and deserve to be used more! (And if everyone used them, then ‘the fourth last time’ would clearly mean that it follows three other last times.)

    – gidds
    Mar 25 at 13:45




    1




    1





    @gidds A hyphen does indeed disambiguate, but I doubt the asker is submitting jokes to their room-mate in writing.

    – David Richerby
    Mar 25 at 14:44





    @gidds A hyphen does indeed disambiguate, but I doubt the asker is submitting jokes to their room-mate in writing.

    – David Richerby
    Mar 25 at 14:44




    1




    1





    @DavidRicherby: Seeing how people these days use their phones to type messages to people in the same room, it wouldn't surprise me! But even in speech, you can hint at hyphenation in your rhythm and timing. (In ‘fourth-last’, the ‘last’ would follow more quickly and with less emphasis than in ‘fourth last’.) After all, punctuation developed as a way of capturing the pauses, emphases, &c of spoken language, and only more recently acquired semantic significance.

    – gidds
    Mar 25 at 15:05





    @DavidRicherby: Seeing how people these days use their phones to type messages to people in the same room, it wouldn't surprise me! But even in speech, you can hint at hyphenation in your rhythm and timing. (In ‘fourth-last’, the ‘last’ would follow more quickly and with less emphasis than in ‘fourth last’.) After all, punctuation developed as a way of capturing the pauses, emphases, &c of spoken language, and only more recently acquired semantic significance.

    – gidds
    Mar 25 at 15:05













    5














    Yes, if after saying this, you will, or are planning to, do the same thing 3 more times, then you can definitely say, "Sorry, this was like the 4th last time I do this", or more like "4th last time I plan to do this."



    I see nothing wrong with the use of "4th last time" here.






    share|improve this answer








    New contributor




    Bella Swan is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
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      5














      Yes, if after saying this, you will, or are planning to, do the same thing 3 more times, then you can definitely say, "Sorry, this was like the 4th last time I do this", or more like "4th last time I plan to do this."



      I see nothing wrong with the use of "4th last time" here.






      share|improve this answer








      New contributor




      Bella Swan is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
      Check out our Code of Conduct.























        5












        5








        5







        Yes, if after saying this, you will, or are planning to, do the same thing 3 more times, then you can definitely say, "Sorry, this was like the 4th last time I do this", or more like "4th last time I plan to do this."



        I see nothing wrong with the use of "4th last time" here.






        share|improve this answer








        New contributor




        Bella Swan is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
        Check out our Code of Conduct.










        Yes, if after saying this, you will, or are planning to, do the same thing 3 more times, then you can definitely say, "Sorry, this was like the 4th last time I do this", or more like "4th last time I plan to do this."



        I see nothing wrong with the use of "4th last time" here.







        share|improve this answer








        New contributor




        Bella Swan is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
        Check out our Code of Conduct.









        share|improve this answer



        share|improve this answer






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        answered Mar 25 at 5:17









        Bella SwanBella Swan

        1,08511




        1,08511




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        Bella Swan is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
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            1














            I read the statement "this is like the 4th last time I do this." to mean you have stated "this is the last time I do this" three times already.



            Unless you have said this three times, then I would say you are not using the word "4th" correctly in this manner.



            If you are trying to say "I am only doing this three more times", then you could say the phrase "sorry, I have to do this three more times."






            share|improve this answer








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            • 4





              Wrong. "Fourth last" (or "Nth last") is as common as second-last or third-last. It's completely obvious that "fourth-last" has the same meaning as second-last, third-last, etc.

              – Fattie
              Mar 25 at 11:24








            • 4





              although "this is like the 4th 'last time' I do this" would mean it has already been the 'last time' 3 times already

              – Smock
              Mar 25 at 12:11
















            1














            I read the statement "this is like the 4th last time I do this." to mean you have stated "this is the last time I do this" three times already.



            Unless you have said this three times, then I would say you are not using the word "4th" correctly in this manner.



            If you are trying to say "I am only doing this three more times", then you could say the phrase "sorry, I have to do this three more times."






            share|improve this answer








            New contributor




            medicine_man is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
            Check out our Code of Conduct.
















            • 4





              Wrong. "Fourth last" (or "Nth last") is as common as second-last or third-last. It's completely obvious that "fourth-last" has the same meaning as second-last, third-last, etc.

              – Fattie
              Mar 25 at 11:24








            • 4





              although "this is like the 4th 'last time' I do this" would mean it has already been the 'last time' 3 times already

              – Smock
              Mar 25 at 12:11














            1












            1








            1







            I read the statement "this is like the 4th last time I do this." to mean you have stated "this is the last time I do this" three times already.



            Unless you have said this three times, then I would say you are not using the word "4th" correctly in this manner.



            If you are trying to say "I am only doing this three more times", then you could say the phrase "sorry, I have to do this three more times."






            share|improve this answer








            New contributor




            medicine_man is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
            Check out our Code of Conduct.










            I read the statement "this is like the 4th last time I do this." to mean you have stated "this is the last time I do this" three times already.



            Unless you have said this three times, then I would say you are not using the word "4th" correctly in this manner.



            If you are trying to say "I am only doing this three more times", then you could say the phrase "sorry, I have to do this three more times."







            share|improve this answer








            New contributor




            medicine_man is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
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            share|improve this answer



            share|improve this answer






            New contributor




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            answered Mar 25 at 5:13









            medicine_manmedicine_man

            3618




            3618




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            New contributor





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            medicine_man is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
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            • 4





              Wrong. "Fourth last" (or "Nth last") is as common as second-last or third-last. It's completely obvious that "fourth-last" has the same meaning as second-last, third-last, etc.

              – Fattie
              Mar 25 at 11:24








            • 4





              although "this is like the 4th 'last time' I do this" would mean it has already been the 'last time' 3 times already

              – Smock
              Mar 25 at 12:11














            • 4





              Wrong. "Fourth last" (or "Nth last") is as common as second-last or third-last. It's completely obvious that "fourth-last" has the same meaning as second-last, third-last, etc.

              – Fattie
              Mar 25 at 11:24








            • 4





              although "this is like the 4th 'last time' I do this" would mean it has already been the 'last time' 3 times already

              – Smock
              Mar 25 at 12:11








            4




            4





            Wrong. "Fourth last" (or "Nth last") is as common as second-last or third-last. It's completely obvious that "fourth-last" has the same meaning as second-last, third-last, etc.

            – Fattie
            Mar 25 at 11:24







            Wrong. "Fourth last" (or "Nth last") is as common as second-last or third-last. It's completely obvious that "fourth-last" has the same meaning as second-last, third-last, etc.

            – Fattie
            Mar 25 at 11:24






            4




            4





            although "this is like the 4th 'last time' I do this" would mean it has already been the 'last time' 3 times already

            – Smock
            Mar 25 at 12:11





            although "this is like the 4th 'last time' I do this" would mean it has already been the 'last time' 3 times already

            – Smock
            Mar 25 at 12:11


















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