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What is "ever and anon"

The Collaborative International Dictionary
Ever and anon

Anon \A*non"\, adv. [OE. anoon, anon, anan, lit., in one (moment), fr. AS. on in + [=a]n one. See On and One.]

  1. Straightway; at once. [Obs.]

    The same is he that heareth the word, and anon with joy receiveth it.
    --Matt. xiii. 20.

  2. Soon; in a little while.

    As it shall better appear anon.
    --Stow.

  3. At another time; then; again.

    Sometimes he trots, . . . anon he rears upright.
    --Shak.

    Anon right, at once; right off. [Obs.]
    --Chaucer.

    Ever and anon, now and then; frequently; often.

    A pouncet box, which ever and anon He gave his nose.
    --Shak. [1913 Webster] ||

Ever and anon

Ever \Ev"er\adv. [OE. ever, [ae]fre, AS. [ae]fre; perh. akin to AS. [=a] always. Cf. Aye, Age, Evry, Never.]

  1. At any time; at any period or point of time.

    No man ever yet hated his own flesh.
    --Eph. v. 29.

  2. At all times; through all time; always; forever.

    He shall ever love, and always be The subject of by scorn and cruelty.
    --Dryder.

  3. Without cessation; continually.

    Note: Ever is sometimes used as an intensive or a word of enforcement. ``His the old man e'er a son?''
    --Shak.

    To produce as much as ever they can.
    --M. Arnold.

    Ever and anon, now and then; often. See under Anon.

    Ever is one, continually; constantly. [Obs.]
    --Chaucer.

    Ever so, in whatever degree; to whatever extent; -- used to intensify indefinitely the meaning of the associated adjective or adverb. See Never so, under Never. ``Let him be ever so rich.''
    --Emerson.

    And all the question (wrangle e'er so long), Is only this, if God has placed him wrong.
    --Pope.

    You spend ever so much money in entertaining your equals and betters.
    --Thackeray.

    For ever, eternally. See Forever.

    For ever and a day, emphatically forever.
    --Shak.

    She [Fortune] soon wheeled away, with scornful laughter, out of sight for ever and day.
    --Prof. Wilson.

    Or ever (for or ere), before. See Or, ere. [Archaic]

    Would I had met my dearest foe in heaven Or ever I had seen that day, Horatio!
    --Shak.

    Note: Ever is sometimes joined to its adjective by a hyphen, but in most cases the hyphen is needless; as, ever memorable, ever watchful, ever burning.

Wiktionary
ever and anon

adv. (context literary English) now and then

Usage examples of "ever and anon".

Perhaps he said more than that, but d'ye know, I doubt it - I can see him yet, bolt upright on his camp-stool, the lean, muscular arms folded across his long body, the grizzled whiskers like a furze-bush, chewing each word slowly before he let it out, the light eyes straying ever and anon to his beloved bull fiddle.

When satisfied, he would walk slowly back, ever and anon turning round to look at us again, as if not quite so convinced of our peaceful intentions.

And ever and anon he'd roll his head to the near side and implant a long slow nibbling kiss along the length of Chimo's carmine nether lips and then roll his head the other way to suck and tongue the faintly rugose nipples of Nixi's small upstanding breasts, now pendant, while Chimo caressed them with her right hand.

Three of these basins were filled with a thick pinkish liquid across which ever and anon a slow quivering ran.

She was being led along a passage, stumbling ever and anon as she walked, for it was but dimly lighted by the same little oil lamp, which one of the soldiers was carrying in front, holding it high up above his head: then they went down a narrow flight of stone steps, until she and her escort reached a heavy oak door.