Honestly, since I've been studying Greek, I don't know if I'm coming or
going!
And, what about "I'll deal with this presently."
I've seen this meaning "right away" or "in the fullness of time."
And I had a real life one, too. [You can hate me after this, if you like.]
About five years ago, I was involved in a car accident on the way to work.
The car in front slammed on the brakes, and this resulted in the person
behind me slamming into me.
I got out of the car to see what had happened, and my car was o.k., but the
car behind had damaged itself on my bullbar. That seemed to be the only
problem.
The driver said to me,"Do you want to call the police?"
I honestly thought he meant, "We don't need to call the police over this
minor accident, do we?" and I understood him to be saying that he felt that
it was not an accident for which we were legally obliged to call the police.
Grateful that it wasn't serious, and, by now, close to being late for work,
I drove off.
That night two police came to our door, and asked for my wife [the car's
registered owner]. They said the driver of the car had committed an offence
by failing to stop after an accident, in which a person wass seriously
injured, and in which one vehicle had been left undriveable. [You're hating
me already, right?]
So, I then realised the bloke behind me had meant, "Could you please call
the police?"
OR,
"Will you call the police, or should I?"
After this incident, I was almost wishing I could be involved in another
accident, so that I could at least behave more sensitively and legally.
Sometimes words conceal, rather than reveal meaning, IMHO.
David McKay
music@fl.net.au