Three-Quarters past the Hour

Who says that anymore!?

I ask: "Can you tell me what time it is?"
"Sure! It is three quarters past the hour."

And I freeze.

Three quarters? Three quarters past the hour? Which hour? And what are three-quarters.

A quarter is 25 cents. Three of them past the hour is 75 cents. And, because an hour has 60 minutes, I subtract 60 from 75 and get my 15 cents-- errr, minutes. Three of those quarters past the hour, must be 15 minutes before the hour!!

EASY!

I know that's not how it really works.
I just want the time to be more simple. Like, for instance, when I ask someone: "Can you tell me what time it is?" I would love to be answered, "Sure. It is 5 minutes to 7:00".

Even 6:55 I understand. But speak to me in fractions and I'm completely lost.

And while I'm on this tangent, when it's Tuesday afternoon and you are inviting me for dinner next Thursday night, I think of it as a week from this coming Thursday. Not this Thursday, but next Thursday.

Can't you ask: "Can you come for dinner on Thursday?"

That all sounds easy. And I don't know why we complicate matters.
But then again. My dad used to call a quarter, two bits. So... I should be really grateful that no one is telling me that the time is six-bits past the hour, or I would really be lost....