from while likes to be busy. It is included in the dictionary with four parts of speech.
The use of ‘wile away’ is common enough to deserve credit.
The first is a noun: take off your coat and stay for a while.
There is a combination, meaning “in that time”: someone called while you are out.
There is an entry for a preposition, which means “until.” This usage can be found in Shakespeare (“while then, God be with you”) but does not seem to appear in modern English.
The fourth part of the speech for while is a verb. Usually used with distantit means “to make it pass in a particularly not boring or pleasant way”:
Of course, if these activities aren’t taken care of, there’s no shame in turned away the resort’s beautiful poolside days. Just be sure to bring a good book. — Kimberly Holland, coastal lifeSeptember 26, 2018
A trip to the town of Mykonos (‘Chora’) is definitely recommended for first-time visitors. 180° Sunset Bar is a beautiful spot to enjoy cocktails with a view. Or you can just while away time wandering the beautiful streets of Little Venice. — Lindsay Silberman, Town & CountrySeptember 20, 2018
Earlier this year, visitors came to while away time spent at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport could have browsed the designer brands at Clutch, Luxury Boutique or Sunglass Icon in the center of Concourse F. — Kelly Yamanouchi, Atlanta Journal-ConstitutionSeptember 5, 2018
While as a verb dating to at least the 17th century, and preceded by two other meanings that are no longer in use: the transitive meaning “to keep (one) busy” and part of the phrase Meanwhilemeans “to keep up or endure.”
Perhaps because we are not used to seeing words that function as both conjunctions and verbs, while away sometimes spelled as hide:
This is not to say that “The Nun” has no redeeming value. Anyone who wants hide an hour and a half of dance scares and pretty visuals could certainly have been much worse, and if nothing else, it offers contemporary culture critics an interesting insight into the mind of modern audiences. —Matthew Rozsa, beauty salonSeptember 22, 2018
Featuring a folk-rock track, composed by Schaefer to the keys of James Taylor and played by him and other actors on guitar and a stage trio of violins, keyboards and drums, “Light Years” reminds you. to any night. easy listening you can have confused in a cafe or bar. — Peter Marks, Washington PostFebruary 19, 2018
This usage is common enough to be indicated in a dictionary, and has in fact been used in several works of classical literature:
Their only hope was to meet a ship, though a fierce gust of wind all night blew them off course. With this hope all cling, and confused tired hours, looking to the horizon and cheering each other on with prophecies of quick deliverance. — Louisa May Alcott, Jo’s Boys1886
‘ARRIVE hide it’s time for your father to come,” he said, “to pray that there’s a lot of looting and killing of sailors on the coast now?” – Charles Dickens, Our mutual friend1865
Combination of while with intrigue can be partly explained by the existence of another verb meaning of intrigue means “seduce as if with a spell: entice,” can also be used with distant:
One should not expect too much from the flesh and blood even of John Hiram’s bedmen, and the sure promise of a hundred a year for each of the twelve old men had the way of most of them. Great Bunce is not confused, and was supported by his two fundamentalists. — Anthony Trollope, Warden1855
One might even think of his or her hours being occupied by the attraction of some kind of activity (perhaps different from the one you’re supposed to do). You can while (or intrigue) distant such as your hours reading interesting and useful articles about the language on the dictionary’s website. And really, what would be a more productive use of your time?
Categories: Usage Notes
Source: vothisaucamau.edu.vn
