Nice to see you back at the thread, Jack!
"I'll be there presently" is one thing. Here is another: "I am presently engaged in the study of..."?
Like many words, "presently" has more than one meaning. According to my Websters, one of them is "now" (see my post to Steven).
Now, turning to the American Heritage Dictionary, which, as you know, employs a voting Usage Panel, we get this very interesting entry:
presently 1. in a short time; soon; directly. She will arrive presently. 2. At this time or period; now. He is presently staying with us. 3. Obsolete. At once; immediately.
Usage note. In modern usage, presently is best restricted to in a short time, a sense approved by 73% of the Usage Panel. However, 49% accept the earlier sense of at this time.
So, whaddyaknow! By using the term "presently" in the sense of "at present" Steven's adversary was not innovating, but employing the word in a respectable, old-fashioned sense... <g>
Joan |
