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I heard "40-odd years" on https://youtu.be/9QCgqQdmr0M?t=59:

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What does "40-odd years" mean?

I found https://ell.stackexchange.com/a/44142/3023 but the usage of odd wasn't made clear. Unanswered questions:

  • 40 odd = in the forties? Terry3497 Dec 28, 2014 at 5:45
  • Doesn't 40 odd have a slightly off hand connotation? It feels to me that saying that 40-odd people were killed would probably be regarded as insensitive. DRF Jun 26, 2015 at 12:13
  • 40 odd might mean the same thing depending on context. user3169 (Q: what other meaning can it take if there's a different context?)
Franck Dernoncourt
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    'Forty-odd' means 'more than forty and less than fifty'. It's an approximation. Some people say that fifty-odd million people were killed in World War 2. Why is that 'insensitive'? – Michael Harvey May 28 '23 at 07:12
  • Why quote users' comments, none of which have been upvoted, instead of the answer which was actually posted and provided supporting evidence? – Mari-Lou A May 28 '23 at 09:18
  • @Mari-LouA The answer doesn't give any evidence regarding the interpretation of odd and has received only one upvote. – Franck Dernoncourt May 28 '23 at 09:21
  • What do you think "40-odd years [ago]" might mean? – Mari-Lou A May 28 '23 at 09:23
  • @Mari-LouA no ideas, it's the first time I heard that expression – Franck Dernoncourt May 28 '23 at 09:26
  • If you understand "She has had this shop for 40 years" the answer on ELL implies "odd" means "some", that should at least give you an idea. – Mari-Lou A May 28 '23 at 09:41
  • @Mari-LouA does 40-odd mean [35,45], [40,45[, [40, 50[, etc? And does it have any connotation? – Franck Dernoncourt May 28 '23 at 09:42
  • The meaning is super easy to look up in any online dictionary. Try Cambridge Dictionary, look for suffix EDIT you're changing the question now. You should edit your post and clarify. – Mari-Lou A May 28 '23 at 09:43
  • @Mari-LouA No, see the list of unanswered questions. – Franck Dernoncourt May 28 '23 at 09:48
  • Those are comments. They are not posted questions, they can be deleted at any time. The OP, user3169, is under no obligation to respond if they feel their answer is correct and well-argued. If you disagree with their answer, then you should make that clearer in your question. I suggest you change the title What does "40-odd years" mean? because now you're saying you understand the meaning but you would like more detail, e.g. if 40-odd has negative connotations etc. (Not really, it depends on the context) – Mari-Lou A May 28 '23 at 09:53
  • @Mari-LouA that's why I posted them here as a question – Franck Dernoncourt May 28 '23 at 09:57
  • "40-odd" is an idiom used when we don't know the exact number. Looks like you are trying to work out the literal meaning of the word odd used in this context, but you can't really do that with idioms. They are what they are, and often make no literal sense. This idiom has no negative connotations, it's simply used when the exact number of something is unknown. – Billy Kerr May 28 '23 at 11:32
  • @BillyKerr "Looks like you are trying to work out the literal meaning of the word odd used in this context" thanks, no just trying to understand its meaning. Noted, thanks! – Franck Dernoncourt May 28 '23 at 11:33
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    @FranckDernoncourt - I'd argue that in this idiom it has no actual literal meaning. It's similar to saying "40 something". – Billy Kerr May 28 '23 at 11:37
  • 'Odd' after a number: Somewhat more than the indicated approximate quantity, extent, or degree (Merriam-Webster), used after a number, especially a number that can be divided by ten, to show that the exact number is not known (Cambridge Dictionary). – Michael Harvey May 28 '23 at 12:00
  • @MichaelHarvey - yeah, it's also used in expressions such as "the odd [something] or two" to mean a few but indeterminate amount of something. E.g. The café was visited by the odd customer or two. – Billy Kerr May 28 '23 at 12:27
  • @BillyKerr - yes, an insignificant or trivial amount, such as the amount by which some quantity or amount exceeds some other amount which is a round number, e.g. he owed me £14.89 but I let him off the odd 89 pence. – Michael Harvey May 28 '23 at 12:35
  • @BillyKerr - I was billed for 8 tonnes of sand, but they delivered 8.2 tonnes, so I got the odd 200 kg free. – Michael Harvey May 28 '23 at 12:57
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    @MichaelHarvey There's a rather nice attestation I saw in the OED: "1597 W. Shakespeare Richard III iv. i. 95 Eightie odde yeares of sorrow haue I seene". – Billy Kerr May 28 '23 at 13:03

1 Answers1

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A number followed by -odd is an idiomatic expression. The word "odd" here has no literal meaning as such. I had to search the OED to find the relevant entries for this usage. It has no negative connotations. It's basically a way to refer to an approximate number.

So forty-odd years means something very similar to between 40 and 50 years, approximately within that range or thereabouts. Possible synonyms are: forty-something, or forty and a bit, or forty or so, or specifically when talking about peoples' ages: in his forties.

odd, adj., n.1, and adv.

A. adj. I. With reference to number.

4. More generally: used to denote a remainder or numerical surplus over and above a ‘round number’ (as a multiple of ten or a similar unit such as dozen, etc.), and thus becoming virtually an indefinite cardinal number of lower denomination than the round number named.

c. Immediately following the numeral (usually one that denotes multiples of ten) forming a phrase preceding the noun modified. Now often in weakened use (frequently hyphenated): ‘or so’; ‘or thereabouts’.

1597 W. Shakespeare Richard III iv. i. 95 Eightie odde yeares of sorrow haue I seene

Source: OED.com.

Billy Kerr
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