odd-come-shortly

Definition

1. Noun:
   • A future day or time: "odd-come-shortly" refers to an unspecified or indefinite day in the near future, often used in the phrase "one of these odd-come-shortlies" to mean "one of these days" or "sometime soon."

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • We'll meet again one of these odd-come-shortlies. (We will meet again on some unspecified day in the near future.)
  • He promised to pay back the money by odd-come-shortly. (He promised to repay the debt at an indefinite but soon time.)

Advanced Usage

• This word is archaic and dialectal, rarely used in modern English. It appears primarily in older or regional speech, especially in British dialects, to express a vague future time.
  • I'll finish the work by odd-come-shortly. (I will complete the task sometime soon, though the exact date is uncertain.)

Variants and Related Words

• No common variants exist. The word is a compound of "odd" (meaning occasional or uncertain) and "come-shortly" (meaning to arrive soon), but it functions as a single noun.

Synonyms

• Soon: in the near future.
• Anon: (archaic) shortly, soon.
• By and by: (archaic) after a short time.

Related Idioms

• One of these days: an idiomatic expression meaning at some unspecified future time.
  • One of these days, I'll visit you. (At some indefinite future time, I will visit you.)

Phrasal Verbs

• None applicable; "odd-come-shortly" is not used as a verb or with phrasal verbs.

Note on Usage

This word is considered obsolete or dialectal. It is not used in contemporary standard English, but may appear in historical texts, regional literature, or humorous contexts to evoke old-fashioned speech.