Dragaera

Time and longitude

Howard Brazee howard at brazee.net
Wed Feb 16 15:34:47 PST 2005

John Klein wrote:

> So, long story longer: which group is right depends on what you mean
> by "time zone". The dictionary says a time zone has to follow both
> rules: it must be one of 24 longitudinal divisions and it must keep
> the same time.

Not every dictionary, for instance:
http://www.m-w.com/cgi-bin/dictionary?book=Dictionary&va=time+zone

But most do, which I find preposterous.  Because...

> So I suppose, according to the Keepers of the English Language, China
> doesn't have any time zones at all (since it keeps different time in
> those strips than other things which share the same strip do).

I have a map of time zones on my wall.   It is pretty old - the USSR is on
it.   Some of those time zones are not multiples of the full hour (India).

Any definition that says China doesn't have a time zone is missing the
point.