Combined Classes (WAS Re: How Twenty is Twenty?)

[Steve]

No: HPFGUIDX 47645

--- In HPforGrownups at y..., "edisbevan" <A.E.B.Bevan at o...> wrote:
> jazmyn wrote:
> >though only Gryffindor students were ever mentioned by name in the
> >class, which supports my stating that 'double' classes are twice as 
> >long, not refering to two houses in a class. 
> 
> Jazmyn is right I think. 
> 
> The term 'double class' is a standard British education term for one 
> lasting twice as long as a normal class.
> 
> ...edited...
> 
> I am certain it never occured to JKR that any other meaning is 
> possible - interesting how other cultural assumptions throw lights 
> and shadows on a shared language... ...edited...
>  
> Edis


bboy_mn a brief comment:

I'm sure we all understand by now that both the standard definition as
well as the book typically refer to, for example, double potions as
meaning two class periods together.

However, when I made the original post, I really didn't have a good
term to use that made the distinction between 'double classes' as in
Gryffindor class and Slytherin class together, and 'double periods' as
in two class time periods together. So I qualified my first use of the
phrase as follows-

Post# 46554
"We have 20 brooms at flying leasons for a double class **(two houses)**.

[**emaphasis added]

Of course, that doesn't invalidate in any way the points people made
about the use of 'double' usually referring to time. I'm not sure if
JKR actually had a specific phrase for 'double houses'. 

That post was a while back, and although we may not be in agreement,
GulPlum (post# 46555) pointed out several other places where the
number twenty was used. 

Just thought I would clarify that.

bboy_mn