- Occasionally, sometimes; periodically but not at regular intervals. Very similar to every now and then.
Explanation
Origin
- Standard English idiom. Uses the phrase time to time to indicate intermittent points across a duration.
Synonyms & Related Expressions
Alternatives
Slang/Informal:
- Once in a while.
Milder/Standard:
- Occasionally.
- Sometimes.
- Periodically.
- Every now and then. / Every so often.
Situational Appropriateness
- Appropriate for all situations, informal to formal. Standard, neutral language.
Misunderstanding Warnings
- Very straightforward and unlikely to be misunderstood. Clearly means occasionally.
Examples
- From time to time, I like to reread my favorite books.
- We hear from our relatives overseas from time to time.
Dialogue
Doctor: Do you experience any headaches?
Patient: From time to time, yes. Maybe once or twice a month.
Doctor: Okay, let's talk more about when they occur...
Social Media Examples
- LinkedIn Post: Important to step back and reassess career goals from time to time. Just spent an hour journaling about my progress. #careerdevelopment #reflection
- Tweet: I still think about that amazing trip I took years ago from time to time. Such great memories. #travel #nostalgia
Response Patterns
- Oh, okay.
- That's nice occasionally.
- Yeah, sometimes is good.
- Simple acknowledgement.
Common Follow-up Questions/Actions
- Similar to Every now and then: might ask for specifics, share related habits, or simply acknowledge.
Conversation Starter
- No. Describes frequency within a conversation.
Intonation
- Natural, conversational rhythm with fairly even stress. Perhaps slight emphasis on TIME to TIME. From TIME to TIME.
Generation Differences
- Universally used and understood.
Regional Variations
- Common across all English-speaking regions.