Oftentimes

MelatoninMelatonin Babbler Join Date: 2003-03-15 Member: 14551Members, Constellation
in Off-Topic
<div class="IPBDescription">wth is this word for?!</div> can anyone tell me when and where oftentimes came from?!
ive seen it gradually become more popular over in the US and cant for the life of me work out why people dont just say often.
often has exactly the same meaning as far as I can tell and its easier to say.

gnnnaaaarrrrr, what is the world coming to?!
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Comments

  • AllUrHiveRblong2usAllUrHiveRblong2us By Your Powers Combined... Join Date: 2002-12-20 Member: 11244Members
    Oftentimes just sounds cooler? I think it does anyways.
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  • [WHO]Them[WHO]Them You can call me Dave Join Date: 2002-12-11 Member: 10593Members, Constellation
    You do know that they have whole books that are used just for this purpose.

    So you might as well be asking why people buy thesauruses (thesaurusii?) at all.
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  • UltimaGeckoUltimaGecko hates endnotes Join Date: 2003-05-14 Member: 16320Members
    I believe, basically, it's for use when you want to convey the fact that 'sometimes' isn't often enough.

    <!--QuoteBegin-often+--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (often)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin-->adv [alternate of oft] 1. Many times.<!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
    <!--QuoteBegin-oftentimes+--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (oftentimes)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin-->[ or ofttimes] adv 1. Time and again : OFTEN<!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->

    [their use is basically interchangeable, except that inflection and similarity to sometimes can give oftentimes a better use than often]

    <!--QuoteBegin--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> </td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin-->1. It rains here, but it oftentimes rains more in Portland.<!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
    <!--QuoteBegin--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> </td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin-->2. It rains here, but it often rains more in Portland.<!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->

    While it may seem trivial, the sentences do mean different things. The first sentence says that it usually rains more in Portland, but not always. The second sentence just generalizes that Portland gets more rain.

    Compare:
    <!--QuoteBegin--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> </td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin-->It rains here, but it oftentimes rains more in Portland.<!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
    <!--QuoteBegin--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> </td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin-->It rains here, but it sometimes rains more in Portland.<!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
    More of a thesaurus work overall, I guess <!--emo&:p--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/tounge.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='tounge.gif' /><!--endemo--> .

    [also of note: the plural of thesaurus can either be based off the latin: thesauri or off the english: thesauruses]


    ...Does that answer the question?
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  • JediYoshiJediYoshi The Cupcake Boss Join Date: 2002-05-27 Member: 674Members
    So oftentimes 'sometimes' isn't enough? <!--emo&:p--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/tounge.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='tounge.gif' /><!--endemo-->
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  • TequilaTequila Join Date: 2003-08-13 Member: 19660Members
    What a dire word.
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  • [WHO]Them[WHO]Them You can call me Dave Join Date: 2002-12-11 Member: 10593Members, Constellation
    <!--QuoteBegin-JediYoshi+Jun 1 2004, 03:29 PM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (JediYoshi @ Jun 1 2004, 03:29 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin--> So oftentimes 'sometimes' isn't enough? <!--emo&:p--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/tounge.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='tounge.gif' /><!--endemo--> <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd-->
    Oftentimes a hammer and a garbage bag aren't enough.
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