"See you next Friday"

[Voltman1]

When someone says "see you next Friday" on Thursday which Friday do they mean?

When someone says "see you next Friday" on Saturday which Friday do they mean?

Any explanations would be appreciated!

[5jj]

When someone says "see you next Friday" on Thursday which Friday do they mean?

Probably the next day.

When someone says "see you next Friday" on Saturday which Friday do they mean?

Probably six days from now.

If you don't know when they say it, ask them. I would, and I am a native speaker.

[BobK]

If you don't know when they say it, ask them. I would, and I am a native speaker.

I agree with this part, but in the first case I'd assume it meant '...in eight days' - because if they meant tomorrow they'd say 'tomorrow'. The exception is when the nearness of the date surprises the speaker: 'See you on Friday - hang on, that's tomorrow isn't it? Doesn't time fly?'

b

[Raymott]

This has been extensively debated several times here. People disagree; so you need to use another phrase to make sure.
Bob would assume "next Friday" means 'tomorrow". I would ask, "Do you mean tomorrow, the 4th or next week, the 11th?"
I'm thinking mostly about making appointments over the phone. The appointments clerk might not necessarily realise that tomorrow is Friday. She has the book open to that date; and she knows it's the next Friday (as it was yesterday, and the day before).
Once you have two temporal coordinates, you can generally take it that you've understood each other. I always go straight for the date in this circumstance.

[Vidor]

To me NEXT Friday means the Friday after the most imminent one, which is THIS Friday. Otherwise "next Friday" and "this Friday" are the same day.

[5jj]

To me NEXT Friday means the Friday after the most imminent one, which is THIS Friday. Otherwise "next Friday" and "this Friday" are the same day.

To me, too. However, as Raymott said, "People disagree; so you need to use another phrase to make sure."

[missiebarcz]

Certainly ask the person for clarification. There is major confusion on this point and you do not wish to miss an appointment because you did not understand. I am glad I am not alone on the confusion.