xkcd #3232: Countdown Standard
Title text:
Anyone who is caught counting 'three ... two ... one ... zero ... GO!' will be punished with a lifetime of eating only ISO standard food samples.
Transcript:
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Source: https://xkcd.com/3232/
I disagree with the last part of your statement. If you say 'next thursday' on a Friday, it still means the second Thursday away. This Thursday always means the next upcoming, so next Thursday should always mean the one following 'this Thursday'. The weekly period rolls with whatever day you're talking about.