by and by

English

Alternative forms

• by-and-by
• by and bye (dated)
• byemby, byembye (eye dialect; 19th to early 20th century)

Etymology

From Middle English by and by (“side by side, close together, alongside, on and on, continually, again and again, repeatedly”), equivalent to by +‎ and +‎ by.

Adverb

by and by (not comparable)

1. After a short time.
   • 1591, William Shakespeare, Two Gentlemen of Verona:

     O, how this spring of love resembleth / The uncertain glory of an April day / Which now shows all the beauty of the sun, / And by and by a cloud takes all away!

   • 1636, William Camden with John Philipot, Remaines concerning Britaine, their languages, names, surnames, 5th edition:

     Two anons and a by and by is an hour and a half.

   • a. 1822, Percy Bysshe Shelley "On the Symposium, or Preface to the Banquet of Plato"

     "You are laughing at me, Socrates," said Agathon, "but you and I will decide this controversy about wisdom by and by, taking Bacchus for our judge. At present turn to your supper."

2. After an indefinite period.

   Sit down, have a rest, and by and by you'll be feeling better.

   • 1882, Alfred Tennyson, The Promise of May:

     She said herself / She would forgive him, by and by, not now — / For her own sake then, if not for mine — not now —- But by and by.

   • 1907, “Will the Circle Be Unbroken?”, Ada R. Habershon (lyrics), Charles H. Gabriel (music):

     Will the circle be unbroken / by and by, by and by? / Is a better home awaiting / in the sky, in the sky?

3. (obsolete) Immediately; at once.
   • 1611, The Holy Bible,  (King James Version), London: Robert Barker, , →OCLC, Matthew 13:21:

     When […] persecution ariseth because of the word, by and by he is offended.

Usage notes

• The meaning of the term has changed from referring to a "near" time (by) to a vaguer range of times, possibly influenced by the use of the term as a noun to refer to the hereafter.

Synonyms

• (after a short time): shortly, soon; see also Thesaurus:soon
• (after an indefinite period): in due course, sooner or later; see also Thesaurus:eventually
• (immediately): now, stat; see also Thesaurus:immediately

Descendants

• Bislama: bambae
• Tok Pisin: baimbai
• Kriol: bambai
• Hawaiian Creole: bumbai

Translations

Noun

by and by (plural not attested)

1. Heaven; the hereafter. Usually preceded with "the sweet."

   I'm sorry ma'am, but your cat's gone on to the sweet by and by.

Synonyms

• other side, spirit world, sweet hereafter: see also Thesaurus:afterlife

Translations