Talk:one at a time

one at a time
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. &mdash; 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
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)

RFV discussion: May–June 2017
Rfv-sense "slowly or methodically".__Gamren (talk) 15:02, 6 May 2017 (UTC) RFV-failed Kiwima (talk) 04:00, 10 June 2017 (UTC)