Occasionally or at irregular intervals; not constantly but happening repeatedly over a period.
This phrase emerged in Middle English, with 'time' being repeated to emphasize the intermittent nature of occurrence. The repetition creates a rhythmic quality that mirrors the sporadic pattern it describes, and has been used since at least the 14th century to indicate something that happens periodically rather than continuously or never.
The elegant repetition in this phrase creates a linguistic rhythm that actually mimics what it describes - the gentle, irregular beat of occasional occurrence. It's more sophisticated than 'sometimes' because it suggests a pattern across a longer timeframe, like drops of water from a leaky faucet rather than a steady stream.
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