Name This Decade Contest!

Update: We've got some winners! Go to the bottom.

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Well, this decade is almost gone (or 82% gone to be precise). And still no name!

A little over eight years ago in January, 2000, I thought this decade would be known as the "oohs" (pronounced "ooze") because it every year in it had two (or more) zeroes and they looked like the "o's" in "oohs." So obvious!

If that didn't happen, then at the very least I thought this time period would come to be called the "ohs" (pronounced like "those" without the "th").

Well, neither of those caught on. Hmmm.

I guess we've got an opportunity.

Flex your creative muscles and come up with a fun and/or descriptive moniker for this decade. (I'm interested to see what you come up with.)

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Thanks for the great suggestions (keep 'em coming). My two favorites are:

• "The Double Ohs" (I think I'd even use this one, such as five years from now I might say, "Do you remember what you were doing with Jim back in the early double ohs?"
• "The Pre-Teens" (This is just plain clever and funny. I don't know, though, if I would actually use it.)

Comments

[Tom Dempsey]

For a short reference to the decade that started with Y2K I like "The 2K's". It also works well in phrases like "Greatest Hits of the 80's, 90's, and 2K's."

[Ryan Guerra]

Again, the question is not about naming the decade. It is about coming up with a word that groups the numbers between 0 & 9. When we think about the 1990s. We use the word that is easiest to remember, 90s. The word ninety is the numbers between 90 and 99. I don't understand why people don't understand this dilemma. Use your head people. Tom Dempsey refer to this decade as 2k's. I'm sorry but you just don't get it do ya! 2ks can be used for every decade between 2k and 3k, literally. 2020 is part of the 2ks, so is 2150 that is part of the 2ks. Check out the videos and see why I have links and not other people.

[Tom Dempsey]

In a strict sense you are correct Ryan Guerra that 2K's refers to more than the decade, but I'm sure people will be able to distinguish the meaning.

2K's gives a greater feeling and understanding for this decade -- we have moved from roman numerals (MM) and arabic numerals (2000) to the language of the computer age (2K). There are many social, political, and religious conflicts between the old and the new ways. Both the new and the old have to wrestle with the complications of the computer age. To me, using "2K's" adds a dimension beyond merely naming the decade.

[David Theil]

I always liked the "naughties". I tried to spread it around in 2000, but it never got any traction; maybe when it is referred to in the past tense. . . I think "naughties" is far funnier and apropos than "the Pre-teens."

For the next, I like "the Teenies" instead of the "teens".

[Pat Stat]

Great question.

Unless we figure this out, radio DJs will have a fun time in 2013 saying:

"We play the best of the '90s, the decade containing the years 2000 to 2009, and the tens (or teens)!"

My suggestion is probably just "ohs". Yeah, I'm boring. So. Heh. Yeah, I don't think people are going to accept anything too complicating. "Aughts" will never fly, not in casual conversation. It sounds like old people.

Anyway, this question brings about another.

We call this year "two thousand eight", but what about 2010, 2015, 2035?

"Twenty fifteen" and the like sounds better. I'm sure we'll switch from "thousand" to "twenty" by the early 2010s. (Which BTW will be "twenty tens" for long, and "tens" or "teens" for short. I prefer "tens".)

[wade]

naughts/nought ( old English for nothing—this decade was definitely called this in the early 20th century) .... or ciphers (some call it this however it's definition is "zero")

[Hector Cane]

I thinks this decade is called 'the naughties' in the USA and 'the noughties' in GB (with OED and BBC spelling)

this is my suggestion:

the greedy naughty noughties

[Leo]

I've decided this decade is and will be the aughts (if only to me). As in a double aught shotgun shell (buck shot). I didn't come up with it (it is pretty old actually), I just knew it was right when I heard it. We got blasted this decade over and over again, then spent the rest of the decade picking up the pieces to our lives and paradigms. We were and are living in extraordinary times.

[Sebastien Provencher]

I proposed to name the decade that's ending "The Self-Media Decade " in a recent blog post.

[L]

The Eve of Destruction

[Matt]

How about naming this decade "The Tech Dec"?(shortened version of "decade") While it doesn't signal the "war on terror or the election of the first minority President,I think it's VERY appropriate.

[Nissa]

I didn't read all of the posts, but I had these two rolling in my head. . .
"Degrading Decadence" and "Festival of Decadence"

[Joni Weirich]

Lots of great thoughts here. It will be interesting to see what they come up with on New Year's Eve.

Here's my thought..."the double aughts".

The "naughties" as has been suggested in a number of places, actually makes it sound like we had fun!

[Maggie@albionmich.com]

This past decade could properly be called the TwentiOs. There is a
facebook fan page for the name, and a logo. The logo is a Cheerio. The naming convention
will also work in previous and future centuries if you read the info on the page. Search
on Facebook for TwentiOs.

[Rickey McDaniel]

the AUGHTIES

[Rickey McDaniel]

the AUGHTITIES

[Rickey McDaniel]

Aught is a synonym of Zero.
noun; A quantity of no importance. pronoun; Anything whatever.

Oddities is ; Eccentricity that is not easily explained; A strange attitude or habit; Something unusual -- perhaps worthy of collecting >noun

Clearly the AUGHTITIES !

[Kris Thompson]

This current decade BEGINS with 2001 and ends at the END of 2010. 2000 is the LAST year of the 20th century and the LAST year of the LAST decade of the 20th century. Since THIS decade, the first of the 21st century, doesn't end until the END of 2010, this contest is both premature AND perpetuates the misconception that we start counting with zero vs. one, as in 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10. Name of the decade 2001 - 2010? How 'bout some reference to "You get what you PAY for, not what you borrow or steal from others".

[-irene(=]

"The first decade of 2nd millenium" LOOL omg I know I know, I broke my head trying to come up with this but it does make sense, doesn't it?;)