Talk:one at a time
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This is a contribution of mine, but User:Algrif has suggested it might be better off merged with at a time, as it is an example of that phrase. It's possible that it deserves special treatment, as the idiomatic expressions "one day at a time" and "one step at a time" are derived from it. However, if the consensus is that there is nothing special about "one at a time", the content can be moved into "at a time". I would however suggest that a link should remain from "one at a time" if the content is moved. — Paul G 09:56, 26 June 2007 (UTC)
- I'd think that if anything, the existence of one day at a time and one step at a time supports the notion that one at a time is nothing but an instance of the more general __ at a time. —RuakhTALK 16:48, 26 June 2007 (UTC)
- Although I suggested this merger to Paul G, I am not 100% sure. There could be a case for an emphatic meaning of slowly and carefully. E.g. He read through the document turning the pages one at a time, making sure he missed nothing. The same meaning is also acheived with one by one. We know anyone would read every page an important document , but this expression emphasises the care and attention. Then again, is this nothing more than a literary device? On the whole, I still go for a merger, but I would like to hear more opinions. Algrif 17:28, 30 June 2007 (UTC)
- Excellent point! Keep. DAVilla 18:17, 11 July 2007 (UTC)
Rebuttal
[edit]One at a time doesn't mean slowly so much as it implies it. In the example above, turning pages one at a time clearly refer to [[one]] [[at a time]]. Usually this would be slowly but it's not impossible to do something quickly and one at a time. Also it can work with any number, two at a time, three at a time. one million five hundred and sixty one at a time is unlikely to be attestable, but if it is attestable, in linguistic terms it's comparable to this. Mglovesfun (talk) 15:12, 21 April 2012 (UTC)
- It says "figuratively". Not sure what sort of figure of speech would say "one at a time" and not mean literally one at a time, though. Equinox ◑ 15:14, 21 April 2012 (UTC)
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Rfv-sense "slowly or methodically".__Gamren (talk) 15:02, 6 May 2017 (UTC)
RFV-failed Kiwima (talk) 04:00, 10 June 2017 (UTC)