Time isnt half confusing

In addition to my problems with dates, I have just discovered that time is also a cause of confusion. 9:30 is always spoken as “nine thirty”, using the common UK expression of “half past nine”, or “half nine”, leads to blank looks or worse missed meetings. I told one of my colleagues that I wanted to see him at half nine; this was at about 9:20. He did not arrive; having heard the word half, he had assumed that I meant in half an hour.