Anytime one word12/9/2023 ![]() ![]() In response to the original questioner's concern that "the words seem to conflict and are sort of nebulous", the response is that "any time now" is just an idiom-while its meaning is related to the words, the meaning of the whole phrase is not entirely deducible from the words themselves-it has a special meaning that must be memorized. It would be out of place in formal writing. Nearly all the instances from the Corpus of Contemporary American English are from fiction and the spoken corpus. "Any time now" is a pretty informal, mostly spoken phrase. Just plain "soon" is much more neutral and could refer to any upcoming timeframe, depending on context. To me, there is more of an urgent sense of anticipation or expectation with "any time now" than with synonyms like "soon" that is, if someone you says "any time now" you might expect the event to occur during the conversation or very soon. The other answers here give a good definition of "any time now" as "imminent" or "soon", but there are a few things I wanted to add: The corpus is most useful for understanding how "any time now" is used in this sense - it often has a connotation of impatient waiting (like hoping for the cookies to arrive soon), or a sense of anticipation, not always pleasant: "Any time now" appears in COCA 73 times "anytime now" in COCA, 24 when looking at categories such as fiction, "any time now" is still the winner, but the difference is negligible. There does not seem to be a strong convention about when to write "any time now" as one or two words. ![]() Note that "anytime" is an alternative and you may see the similar expression anytime soon written with "anytime" as one word. It looks as if this expression is mainly used in American English, and any time now (see 12) may more often be written with "any time" as two words. "Some time soon, Nana will show up with the cookies." We’ve written on our blog, by the way, about another use of “anymore”-to mean “now” or “nowadays."Any time now" means that you don't know the exact time, but that you expect it to happen very soon momentarily. Other one-word adverbs favored by Americans, according to Fowler, are “anyplace” (in the sense of “anywhere”) and “anymore” (meaning “any longer”).īut Fowler adds that “anymore” is gaining acceptance with British writers and publishing houses. So is “anytime” American? Well, many of the OED citations are American, but some are from British, Australian, South African, and other sources. For instance, Fowler’s Modern English Usage (revised 3rd ed.) says “anytime” (meaning “at any time”) is “another characteristically American adverb.” Some usage guides say “anytime” is typically American. It does, however, have entries for such compounds as “anyhow,” “anyhoo,” “anyplace,” “anyways,” “anywhat,” “anywhen,” “anywhence,” “anywhither,” and “anywise.” I will send round tomorrow to inquire how the patient is.”Īlthough “anytime” shows up in a couple of dozen OED citations, the dictionary doesn’t yet have an actual entry for the adverb. Under the OED entry for the verbal phrase “to send round” is this quotation from 1912: “I will leave the basket you can send it round anytime. Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary (11th ed.) says the adverb dates back only to 1926, but the Oxford English Dictionary has an earlier, century-old example. Interestingly, “anytime” is a relatively recent usage. “Johnson’s rule of thumb is a sensible one,” M-W adds, “though occasionally it is not observed.” We got one translation of anytime in English-Latin dictionary with synonyms. In The Handbook of Good English (1982), Johnson says one word is all right when it can be replaced by the phrase “at any time,” but otherwise the two-word spelling should be used. ![]() Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary of English Usage explains the use of these terms by citing the advice given by the language writer Edward D. In her grammar and usage book Woe Is I (3rd ed.), Pat uses an example that combines the terms: “The boss will see you anytime she has any time.” The single word, “anytime,” is an adverb (that is, it modifies a verb), and its meaning is similar to “whenever,” “on any occasion,” or “at any time.”Įxamples: “You can call me anytime” … “Do this anytime your iPad freezes” … “He can sleep anytime.” Q: My cousin and I were just reviewing a business letter, and the word(s) “any time” became a question: Is there a difference between “any time” and “anytime”?Ī: The two-word version, “any time,” is a noun phrase that means something like “any amount of time” or “any particular time.”Įxamples: “You never seem to have any time for your mother” … “Is there any time when you’re free next week?” ![]()
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