What is the proper way to say 01:32? [closed]

During Apollo 11 launch the narrator said "thirty two minutes past the hour". I always thought it meant 01:32. But here another person claims that phrase could refer to 32 minutes past any hour, e.g 04:32.

So the question is as follows: what's the correct way of saying 01:32? Is it just "thirty two past one" or "thirty two minutes past the hour" is also correct?

Solution 1:

It can refer to any hour, but that is not the complete story.

The normal way of expressing such times is one thirty two. Other examples might be 11:23, when we expect to hear eleven twenty three or, if the 24 hour clock is in use, to hear fourteen thirty four for 14:34.

When we hear thirty two minutes past the hour, use of the definite article "the" tells us that the thirty two refers to a particular hour. It may be one that has been defined previously or is defined by context.

An example of definition: Between 1 and 5 o'clock, buses leave at thirty two minutes past the hour tells us they leave at 1:32, 2:32, 3:32 and 4:32.

An example of implied context: in the Apollo launch, the context may be that the launch was in progress, that the narrator was recounting a stream of events in which things happened fast relative to a time scale of hours. Unless some particular hour had been mentioned, we understand 32 minutes past the hour to refer to the current hour. Thus, if the time happens to be 01:12 and the narrator refers to 32 minutes past the hour, they refer to forthcoming 01:32.

But be cautious: tense or implied tense may change understanding. If the time is 01:55 and they refer to 32 minutes past the hour they may use the past tense to refer to 01:32 (launch was at 32 past the hour) or the future tense to refer to the forthcoming 02:32 (launch will be at 32 past the hour)