Usage question - "gathering of an evening"

ddutt · Dec 22, 2008

Howdy all,

I recently ran across the phrase "gathering of an evening" which seemed almost a typo to me. What is the correct usage of this phrase ? Is it the same as "gathered on an evening" or does it mean we used what was left of the evening ?

Thanks,

Dinesh

IceCreamEmpress · Dec 22, 2008

I'd have to see the whole sentence.

There is an idiomatic usage of "of {a period of time}," generally a rural US usage, which means "on or during many instances of {that period of time}." We'd sit on the front porch of an evening and swap stories, for instance.

So it's possible that the writer meant that there were gatherings on many evenings, and is employing that idiom.

ddutt · Dec 22, 2008

Hi,

Thanks for your response. What you say is exactly how it was used. The writer meant to say that she and her siblings got together on many evenings to swap Xmas stories.

Dinesh

Usage question - "gathering of an evening"

ddutt

IceCreamEmpress

Hapless Virago

ddutt