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Meaning of "get under way"



 
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Meaning of "get under way" Sun Jul 13, 2008 14:28 pm  Meaning of "get under way"		  
Hello everybody!
There is a sentence like this in one of my books:
" Will the concert start soon? - It should get under way any minute now."
I've known that "get under way" means to start, to set off.
But why in this sentence, it's accompanied with "any minute". It seems to be unsuitable. What do you think about it?
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Meaning of "get under way" Sun Jul 13, 2008 14:59 pm  Meaning of "get under way"		  
It's quite a common phrase; a colloquial expression for saying 'The concert shall commence very soon'.
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Meaning of "get under way" Sun Jul 13, 2008 15:01 pm  Meaning of "get under way"		  
Hi sophie,

Your sentence is fine.
any minute/moment(now)=momently.
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Meaning of "get under way" Sun Jul 13, 2008 15:49 pm  Meaning of "get under way"		  
Hi Pamela

I doubt that you would find many Americans using 'momently', and if you did, it would probably be fairly literary.

In AmE, we frequently use 'momentarily' to mean 'very soon' -- especially in spoken English.
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Meaning of "get under way" Sun Jul 13, 2008 15:52 pm  Meaning of "get under way"		  
Hi

in BrE "any minute now" may be said without now. Also in BrE momentarily strikes me as old fashioned as well.
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Meaning of "get under way" Sun Jul 13, 2008 15:55 pm  Meaning of "get under way"		  
Hi Stew

What about 'momently' in BE? I don't think I've ever actually heard anyone use that word over here.
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Meaning of "get under way" Sun Jul 13, 2008 16:04 pm  Meaning of "get under way"		  
Yankee wrote:
Hi Pamela

I doubt that you would find many Americans using 'momently', and if you did, it would probably be fairly literary.

In AmE, we frequently use 'momentarily' to mean 'very soon' -- especially in spoken English.
.

I see, Amy...
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Meaning of "get under way" Sun Jul 13, 2008 17:27 pm  Meaning of "get under way"		  
Hi Amy

You are right as ever, momently is a new coinage.
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Meaning of "get under way" Sun Jul 13, 2008 17:42 pm  Meaning of "get under way"		  
Hi,

'Momentarily' to me means for the moment in the sense of 'not for long' as in: She was momentarily lost for words when they gave her first prize.

Alan
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Meaning of "get under way" Sun Jul 13, 2008 18:22 pm  Meaning of "get under way"		  
Firstly, thank you everybody for answering my question.
In my dictionary, "momentarily" have both meanings: "not for long" and "very soon". What do you think about it?
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Meaning of "get under way" Sun Jul 13, 2008 19:44 pm  Meaning of "get under way"		  
Alan wrote:
'Momentarily' to me means for the moment in the sense of 'not for long' as in: She was momentarily lost for words when they gave her first prize.
'Momentarily' is also used that way here in the US. Basically, it would be the context that determines which meaning is intended.
.
Yankee
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Meaning of "get under way" Sun Jul 13, 2008 19:51 pm  Meaning of "get under way"		  
Interestingly, "momently" and "momentarily" both date from the 17th century; the latter's sense of "instantly" is obsolete in BrE, but may well return under pressure from AmE.

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Meaning of "get under way" Sun Jul 13, 2008 19:51 pm  Meaning of "get under way"		  
sophie wrote:
Firstly, thank you everybody for answering my question.
In my dictionary, "momentarily" have both meanings: "not for long" and "very soon". What do you think about it?
Hi Sophie
Not all "usage experts" agree that using momentarily to mean 'very soon' is "acceptable" in formal written English. Some do, some don't.
.
Yankee
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Meaning of "get under way" Sun Jul 13, 2008 20:09 pm  Meaning of "get under way"		  
That's an interesting little tidbit of information, MrP.

The following site lists 'momentarily' as an example of a difference between BE and AmE. Interestingly, the entry comes directly after 'molly-coddled'. Laughing
http://english2american.com/dictionary/m.html
.
Yankee
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Meaning of "get under way" Sun Jul 13, 2008 23:16 pm  Meaning of "get under way"		  
Hello Amy,

Yankee wrote:
The following site lists 'momentarily' as an example of a difference between BE and AmE. Interestingly, the entry comes directly after 'molly-coddled'. Laughing
http://english2american.com/dictionary/m.html
.

Yes, "momentarily" is recognised as AmE over here. (For a BrE unfamiliar with the usage, it can be disconcerting to be told by a switchboard operator that they'll connect you momentarily.)

"Molly-coddling" on the other hand is an all too common phenomenon.

MrP
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