SR wrote:

> I wonder about the expression "by and by".
> My son's English book (Japanese high school) defines "by and by" as "pretty
> soon". I found this one
> in 2 dictionaries (Babylon Online) for example.
> However, it is also defined as "gradually", "eventually", or "it won't be
> long".
> 
> The difference between "pretty soon" or "soon" and "gradually" is like day
> and night
> to my ears!
> The actor (Superman) got paralyzed when he fell from his horse. Since this
> tragedy happened several years ago, he has been improving by and by.
> Nobody would think that this means "pretty soon" or just "soon".
> What have the experts to say on this one?

http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=by%20and%20by

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