Hi I’d like to know what exactly means the word “ODD” I found this quote “sixty odd years”.
thanks
Javier Santos
Hi I’d like to know what exactly means the word “ODD” I found this quote “sixty odd years”.
thanks
Javier Santos
Odd can have serveral different meanings, or variations in meanings, depending on the context. The most common direct meaning is “strange, weird, unusual, irregular”, etc. I imagine you already know this meaning, though.
But in this case, when used with numbers, it refers to some indefinite or unknown amount close to but more than the number stated. So… “sixty odd years” means sixty years and a little more, but exactly how much more is unclear or indefinite. It is always (well, always as far as I know) used with “round” numbers… twenty, thirty, forty, etc. One wouldn’t read (or say) “thirty-six odd years”.
I hope I’ve helped.
I think that sixty odd is like sesenta y tanto or sesenta y pico in Spanish. In English you could also say “sixty some” years, sixty some odd years (more colloquial), or sixty something as in a vague way to indicate a time period in the region of some number of years or someone’s age between sixtyish and seventyish. In my opinion, JustMe’s explanation of this is very good.
Some other meanings include numbers that are not even of course, such as 3,5,7, 9 etc.; the use of “odd” is as in referring to “occcasional” such as “I like to take the odd drink of whisky”; and my wife’s favourite: in combination it can be used as the term odd job which is usually some kind of routine handyman work or I do the odd job around the house like fixing a dripping faucet, or odd jobs around the yard such as cutting the grass.
At this point you may be sorry you asked. Anyway, it seems that this is a website where people love to explore the meanings and uses of words so I hope you’ll please forgive me if I have been rather prolix in my reply! !!
JB