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Spring Forward, Fall Back

Mar 6, 2007
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This annecdote about Daylight Saving Time made me smile:

In September 1999, the West Bank was on Daylight Saving Time while Israel had just switched back to standard time. West Bank terrorists prepared time bombs and smuggled them to their Israeli counterparts, who misunderstood the time on the bombs. As the bombs were being planted, they exploded—one hour too early—killing three terrorists instead of the intended victims—two busloads of people.

I always get jet lag, for lack of a better word, when we go to Daylight Saving, I need that extra hour of sleep. But while it's impossible for me to get up early on purpose, I do get used it and then enjoy the brighter evenings. Daylight Saving Time is stupid as can be, yet somehow it works for me.

Also, did you know it was Daylight SAVING Time, not Daylight Savings Time? I didn't.

From the above linked site:

"Saving is used here as a verbal adjective (a participle). It modifies time and tells us more about its nature; namely, that it is characterized by the activity of saving daylight. It is a saving daylight kind of time. Similar examples would be a mind expanding book or a man eating tiger. Saving is used in the same way as saving a ball game, rather than as a savings account.

Nevertheless, many people feel the word savings (with an 's') flows more mellifluously off the tongue. Daylight Savings Time is also in common usage, and can be found in dictionaries.

Adding to the confusion is that the phrase Daylight Saving Time is inaccurate, since no daylight is actually saved. Daylight Shifting Time would be better, but it is not as politically desirable."

Heh.