Originally Posted by Yaatri

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For me, eight-half example is interesting confusion between half empty and half full. You have quarter to eight and quarter past eight There is half past eight, but half to seven? In absence of "to" or "past", I would have thought that half-eight means half past eight.
That it means half past seven in Dutch, not that relevant to the topic, is interesting indeed.

In one language there are different words for "a quarter past" and "a quarter to" which qualify the significant hour of the clock, rounded off, if you will. I suspect, that's why 7:45 is a quarter to eight, with no hint of seven in it.

People use terms like "half-eight", even in mixed company, shows how we are prisoners of our culture.

Originally Posted by Mart81

Being a Dutch native speaker I can tell you why this is the case.
In Dutch "half acht / half eight" implies that the whole hour is halfway towards getting to 8. Therefore half eight is 7.30.

In the UK the half eight refers to a shortened form of "half past eight" where the "past" is omitted.

Having lived in both countries I have to say both systems have a form of confusion to them!