by and by
See also: by-and-by
English
Alternative forms
- by-and-by
- by and bye (dated)
- byemby, byembye (eye dialect; 19th to early 20th century)
Etymology
From Middle English by and by (“side by side, close together, alongside, on and on, continually, again and again, repeatedly”), equivalent to by + and + by.
Adverb
by and by (not comparable)
- After a short time.
- 1591, William Shakespeare, Two Gentlemen of Verona:
- O, how this spring of love resembleth / The uncertain glory of an April day / Which now shows all the beauty of the sun, / And by and by a cloud takes all away!
- 1636, William Camden; John Philipot, Remaines concerning Britaine, their languages, names, surnames, 5th edition:
- Two anons and a by and by is an hour and a half.
- a. 1822, Percy Bysshe Shelley "On the Symposium, or Preface to the Banquet of Plato"
- "You are laughing at me, Socrates," said Agathon, "but you and I will decide this controversy about wisdom by and by, taking Bacchus for our judge. At present turn to your supper."
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- After an indefinite period.
- Sit down, have a rest, and by and by you'll be feeling better.
- 1882, Alfred Tennyson, The Promise of May:
- She said herself / She would forgive him, by and by, not now — / For her own sake then, if not for mine — not now —- But by and by.
- 1907, Ada R. Habershon (lyrics), Charles H. Gabriel (music), “Will the Circle Be Unbroken?”:
- Will the circle be unbroken / by and by, by and by? / Is a better home awaiting / in the sky, in the sky?
- (obsolete) Immediately; at once.
- 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], OCLC 964384981, Matthew 13:21:
- When […] persecution ariseth because of the word, by and by he is offended.
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Usage notes
- The meaning of the term has changed from referring to a "near" time (by) to a vaguer range of times, possibly influenced by the use of the term as a noun to refer to the hereafter.
Synonyms
- (after a short time): shortly, soon; see also Thesaurus:soon
- (after an indefinite period): in due course, sooner or later; see also Thesaurus:eventually
- (immediately): now, stat; see also Thesaurus:immediately
Descendants
- Bislama: bambae
- Tok Pisin: baimbai
- Kriol: bambai
Translations
soon — see soon
at an indefinite time in the future
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Noun
by and by (plural not attested)
- Heaven; the hereafter. Usually preceded with "the sweet."
- I'm sorry ma'am, but your cat's gone on to the sweet by and by.
Synonyms
- other side, spirit world, sweet hereafter: see also Thesaurus:afterlife
Translations
heaven; the hereafter
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