20 Something
I was under the impression that “20 something” meant someone in his/her early 20s. Would a 29 year old be still considered “20 something”? When did this expression start?
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Mike (unregistered)
May 6, 2003, 11:48pm
It could depend on the perspective. If I'm talking about someone else and am asked what that person's age is, and I don't know for sure, I could say, "20-something." If I am that person and don't want to admit being 29, I would say, "20-something."
With the old TV show, I thought it meant in their 30s, but they prefer not to be more specific.
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passerby (unregistered)
November 16, 2004, 12:47pm
it would include people that fall inbetween of 20 -29|
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nikki (unregistered)
April 30, 2005, 1:44am
20-something means you are from age 20-29 as 300something means 30-39
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M Stevenson (unregistered)
April 11, 2004, 3:50am
There was a television programme called 'thirty something'. All the main characters in it were between 20 and 30.
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nospam.chick
March 18, 2003, 3:00pm
today, as I turn 25, still will use 20-something. I suppose a 29 year old could technically use 20-something.
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joe
March 18, 2003, 8:23pm
Naturally, I would assume that the companion expression "30 something" came before the TV show of the same name, but I believe that in that case, "30 something" would be skewed toward the latter end of the age group, since they don't want to say they are 36 or so, and would rather people think they might be 31. (whatever).
Anyway, intuitively, "20 something" means anything in 21-29 (since 20 has no "something" after it)... but since I don't know the origin of the phrase either, the original coiner could have intended the early 20's.
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owl (unregistered)
March 19, 2003, 6:21pm
Joe and Nina raise good points. My impression of the "thirty something" phrase was originally that it described a relatively amorphous group of around the same age (or decade of age) that acted and thought and consumed in similar ways. Thirty something was basically synonymous with yuppies, as I remember it being used. I think now it has devolved through common usage to its more mundane meaning, i.e., as Nina or Joe suggest, anyone 20-29.
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