Also ich kenn aus meiner Gastfamilie in den USA: "Let's met at XXX thirty"

I always say "nine thirty". I think one also hears this most often in the U.S. Occasionally you hear "half past nine", but I would say that's more from the older generation (but not exclusively).

I've never heard "half nine" in the U.S.

Half-nine does not exist in the US, period. I learned it from an Irish fellow here for in Austria for the first time.

I always thought it was an "Irish" thing, too. But assumed it meant the same as German "halb neun", i.e. 30 minutes to nine, not past nine.

Thanks a lot. That's what I thought. If there are any Australians or South Africans out there, I'd like to know what you say.

'allo, 'allo to me favourite car.
I'd say it's a British thing, mini cooper.

As a Canadian, I'd say half past nine or nine-thirty. And as a Canadian, that's what I'd expect to hear from the others who live in my country.

Hope this helps.

Wishing you a pleasant week from the colonies.

@ Poppidirk - that's the problem. Germans tend to turn up an hour earlier. And I long ago stood up my German date because I turned up an hour late. As far as I know, it's used throughout the British Isles.

thanks radagast and cheerio.

@ Mini cooper: Hmm, we always met on time (save the "akademisches Viertelstündchen). And come to think of it, I heard in England, too - and never turned up early, either ...

What does "stood up my date" mean in this context?

Forget me even asking - it's in LEO ...

@ Poppidirk

I was in Manchester this weekend with a group of Germans. The hostel we stayed in organised a pub-crawl The guy at the desk - who was Irish - said he'd meet us all downstairs at half eight. One of them checked the time and he said 'yes half eight, that's eight-thirty'.

Mini cooper is right - Half six is 6:30, half nine is 9:30. It's very confusing to us. I have been in the UK a long time now, but at first I was very confused.

Während meiner Zeit in England war "half nine" in der Bedeutung "9:30" ebenfalls seeehr geläufig. Ich habe aber beim ersten Mal nachgefragt, so dass ich nie eine Stunde zu früh da war... ;-)

OK, maybe I just remember it wrongly. It has been quite a time since I was in England, more's the shame. Ahhh, sitting in a pub with a nice pint of Bitter ...

HEUL - ICH WILL DA WIEDER HIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

@poppirdirk
"to stand someone up" is to not show up for an appointment (mostly a social appointment). ZB: "She said she would meet me at 6, but she wasn't there. I can't believe she stood me up!"

As an Australian, I'd instinctively understand "half nine" to mean half past nine, i.e. 9.30

I've heard "half nine" [half past nine] in Ireland, Australia and England.

In Australia, I actually arrived a 75 minutes early for a date ... in Ireland also, foreigners (esp. germans) seem to easily fall prey to this "false friend".

As an Australian, I'd never heard 'half nine' until speaking with British people in Germany (and in this context, it was very confusing!) We would say nine thirty or half past nine interchangably. I think anyone who says they've heard 'half nine' in Australia is talking to British tourists, not Australians!