{"id":1462,"date":"2022-02-26T19:11:22","date_gmt":"2022-02-26T19:11:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/?p=1462"},"modified":"2022-02-26T19:11:22","modified_gmt":"2022-02-26T19:11:22","slug":"every-other-week-meaning","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/every-other-week-meaning\/","title":{"rendered":"Every Other Week - Meaning, Origin and Usage"},"content":{"rendered":"

Did you ask your friend if they want to go to the market with you today and they tell you that they only go \u201cevery other week<\/em>?\u201d What do they mean?<\/p>\n

This post unpacks everything you need to know about the meaning and origin of this expression.<\/p>\n

Every Other Week Meaning<\/h2>\n

The phrase \u201cevery other week<\/em>\u201d means the week after the following week. So, if you speak to someone on week one of the year, you would talk to them again in week three and week five, or \u201cevery other week.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n

Some people also use the phrase \u201cbi-weekly<\/em>\u201d in the same context, but it is the less correct format of the two. Some people might assume you mean \u201ctwice a week<\/em>\u201d if you\u2019re referring to \u201cbi-weekly<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n

So, if you plan on going to the movies every other week<\/em> as a treat, it means that you would skip a week between films.<\/p>\n

The phrase suits professional and social conversations. For example, you could tell your boss that you\u2019ll recon customer accounts every other week. Or you could tell your friend that you\u2019ll plan a fishing trip every other week.<\/p>\n

Britons will use the word \u201cfortnite<\/em>\u201d to describe \u201cevery other week<\/em>,\u201d but this word doesn\u2019t have much use outside of the UK, and most people will use \u201cevery other week<\/em>\u201d instead.<\/p>\n

Every Other Week Example Usage<\/h2>\n

\u201cWe go to the beach house every other week<\/em> to get away from the hustle and bustle of the city.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI still see my folks every other week<\/em> since they moved into the retirement estate.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI like doing a fast every other week<\/em> to keep my weight down and improve my digestion.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe play a game against a rival school every other week<\/em> during the season.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\" \"\"<\/p>\n

Every Other Week Origin<\/h2>\n

There are no records available suggesting the origin of the phrase \u201cevery other week<\/em>.\u201d However, if we break the saying into its parts, the words \u201cevery other<\/em>\u201d describe skipping out a section of time, whether that\u2019s a minute, hour, week, month, or year.<\/p>\n

\u201cEvery other<\/em>\u201d can also refer to \u201calternating<\/em>.\u201d The first use of the phrase \u201cevery other week<\/em>\u201d is unclear. Still, some language experts believe it is a part of the modern language since it refers to specific periods, and the valuation of time, which only became necessary as people started to charge for their labor after the Industrial Revolution. Since labor is a product of time, using \u201cevery other week<\/em>\u201d refers to segments of time, and you don\u2019t have the interest or ability to do something every week.<\/p>\n

There are hundreds of memes online using the phrase, and the saying started appearing on the internet in chats and message boards from around 2010. Most of the memes feature popular characters from 2010 to 2018, such as Kermit the Frog.<\/em><\/p>\n