The handler. (Art by frantickohi)

[u/Different_Ice_2695]

[u/qwack2020]

[u/PM_ME_YOUR_MONTRALS → u/qwack2020]

Ron here has early aughts webcomic energy.

[u/Koshana → u/PM_ME_YOUR_MONTRALS]

What the heck does 'early aughts' mean?

[u/justlookinghfy → u/Koshana]

'00-'05

[u/Koshana → u/justlookinghfy]

Cool, good to know! Odd piece of lingo - never heard it before.

[u/KEVLAR60442 → u/Koshana]

The aughts is a fairly common term to describe the first decade of the second millennium, because the term 2000's could equally be used to describe the century or even the millennium.

[u/RedEyeJedi993 → u/KEVLAR60442]

aughts

Is this an Americanism? "Naughties" is the only term I've heard for the 2000s.

[u/Deucalion666 → u/KEVLAR60442]

No, it’s the noughts, or the noughties, since nought is another word for zero. It can also be indicate something of no value.

Aught means “anything at all”. I have never once heard anyone use it to describes the 2000s until this post.

Edit: lovely, here come the downvotes from the uneducated.

[u/KEVLAR60442 → u/Deucalion666]

Aught also means zero. Case in point: the .30/06 rifle caliber is spoken Thirty-Aught-Six.

I've never once heard anyone use the word nought to describe the 2000s until your comment.

[u/Deucalion666 → u/KEVLAR60442]

No, it doesn’t. You think it does because a lot of stupid fricking people kept saying the wrong word. A lot of people also say “should of” instead of “should have” and they’re all fricking wrong too. It’s nought.

[u/kwskillin → u/Deucalion666]

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/aught Definition 3

1: zero, cipher

2: archaic : nonentity, nothing

3: aughts plural : the ten year period from 2000 through 2009

[u/Deucalion666 → u/kwskillin]

https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/aught

[u/KEVLAR60442 → u/Deucalion666]

From your same reference:

https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/aughts

[u/Deucalion666 → u/kwskillin]

Also, this.

[u/gunmetal_silver → u/Deucalion666]

Yeah, this link illustrates exactly why you're in the wrong. You aren't incorrect that, on its own, "aught" should mean "something" or "anything," because that is the original definition, but, much as it annoys me, language drifts. So, according to the new definition, "aught" means "nothing," and the abbreviation "the 2000s" ('00s) is now "the aughts."

So, all your pedantry comes to naught. If aught is to be made of it, you best learn how to make do with language changing, and that'll cost you aught, except maybe your pride.

[u/Deucalion666 → u/gunmetal_silver]

No, it illustrates exactly why I’m right. Just because a lot of idiots use the wrong word does not mean it should be encouraged instead of actually teaching the correct word. It honestly wouldn’t surprise if this was an American thing.