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For the time being

Posted by Lewis on January 14, 2004

In Reply to: For the time being posted by Lotg on January 14, 2004

: For the time being what? Recently one of my staff created a temporary fix for a problem we had. My comments to her were, "that'll be fine for the time being".

: But after I said it, it occurred to me that it really is a common but odd thing to say. So where does it come from, what are it's origins, for the time being what? Any ideas?

Surely the key to understanding the expression is to recognise that it is not truncated from a longer expression. 'Being' is a present participle applied to 'time' so the expression suggests a period of time in the present and without a predicted end.

'Time being' may appear temporary, but it is temporary without a certain end.

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