Clockwise...

[wvwoman]

With so many clocks and watches now being digital, will the words "clockwise" and "counter-clockwise" continue to be used by younger generations?

[Roxanne]

I'd expect clockwise and counterclockwise to continue to be used until a better term comes along. After all, we still say 'jury-rigged' (or jerry-rigged) although nowadays English speakers rarely come into contact with sailing ships. And 'red tape' is the bane of many of us, although it's been a long time since documents were tied up in actual red tape.

[LLapp]

And people still say they "dialed" a number on the phone. I wonder if "dial" will remain as a word, but with different meaning.

[universalmom]

I have analog clocks all over my house! I prefer them, and it helped my kids learn what I mean when I say "quarter after" or "quarter of" It also made math easier for them - analog clocks are a great shortcut for explaining certain topics in Geometry and Trig. (For my fellow nerds out there - how do you ever explain the Unit Circle to a kid who only knows digital clocks??)

[wvwoman]

I have analog clocks all over my house! I prefer them, and it helped my kids learn what I mean when I say "quarter after" or "quarter of" It also made math easier for them - analog clocks are a great shortcut for explaining certain topics in Geometry and Trig. (For my fellow nerds out there - how do you ever explain the Unit Circle to a kid who only knows digital clocks??)

when i was a kid, i thought that the "quarter" meant 25 minutes--it made sense to me!

[Barnabas]

What are these clocks you speak of? My sundial runs quite satisfactorily... but it is a bit cloudy today.

[darkyr]

They refer to those enormous contraptions with the flowing water, the float and the pointer. They are quite popular in large cities with aqueducts.