it wasn't only only

English

Etymology

From a quote by World Rally Championship ex-driver Henning Solberg, in turn a literal translation of Norwegian Bokmål Men men, det er ikke bare bare.

Proverb

it wasn't only only (present tense it isn't only only, present tense it's not only only)

1. (slang, Norway) An act or task was harder to do than it might seem.
   • Sometime between February 2004 and 9 May 2008, exact date unknown, Sigve Kvamme, quoting Henning Solberg, WRC TV / Dagbladet‎^[1], retrieved 16 October 2023:

     But but, it wasn't only only.

   • 2017 April 12, Christian Westgaard, Enomic Community Forum‎^[2], retrieved 26 December 2023:

     Then you could use http client again 🙂 still a bit hacky, but but it isn’t only only

   • 2017 September 2, Folk som liker bøker (team), Apple Podcasts‎^[3], retrieved 16 October 2023:

     It wasn't only only, but but.

   • 2023 October 7, Cecilie Bolander, Instagram‎^[4], retrieved 16 October 2023:

     It's not only only, but but

Usage notes

Most commonly used during informal code-switching between Norwegians, but has occasionally been used by Norwegians when speaking English (albeit fairly rarely).

Synonyms

• easier said than done

Derived terms

• but but
• but but, it wasn't only only
• it wasn't only only, but but