Lately without 'until(till)'

Question

I already posted the similar question here but I didn't get a satisfactory answer, so I have changed my question and re-posted that.

I know the adverb 'lately' express a short term, but in the following example it in bold express a longer term than 10 years.

I'd like to know whether the adverb 'until' is omitted before it.

"The Cholesterol controversy has Americans eating 6 lbs. less beef than a decade ago. They also drink 4% less alcohol.

In a country so lately thought to be dedicated to pleasure and self-expression that will be no small achievement."

Thank you in advance for your help

CalifJim · Accepted Answer

park sang joonI'd like to know whether the adverb 'until' is omitted before it.

No. Not at all.

park sang joonIn a country so lately thought to be dedicated to pleasure and self-expression that will be no small achievement.

This sentence does not seem to me to belong with the sentence you cited just above it, though from your post it seems that you think it does. In any case, the meaning is this:

That will be a big achievement, considering that this is a country in which the general opinion that was held not so very long ago was that people were dedicated to pleasure and self-expression.

In short, so lately thought (to be ...) = believed not so long ago (to be ...)

("lately", "recently", "not long ago", "a short time ago", and so on, are all relative terms, so they must be judged in relation to the amounts of time being considered in the given context. Compared to the age of the earth, for example, the last ice age was not very long ago.)

CJ

Park sang joon · Answer

Thank you Mr.CalifJim for your concrete answer

"("lately", "recently", "not long ago", "a short time ago", and so on, are all relative terms, so they must be judged in relation to the amounts of time being considered in the given context. Compared to the age of the earth, for example, the last ice age was not very long ago.)"

Do you think about a year is very short relatively given 'a decade ago' in the context, and 'recently' indicates about a year?

CalifJim · Answer

park sang joonDo you think about a year is very short relatively given 'a decade ago' in the context, and 'recently' indicates about a year?

A year or two or three. Those expressions are so indefinite that the author does not expect you to get out your calculator to determine any exact number.

CJ

Park sang joon · Answer

Thank you Mr.CalifJim for your continuous answer

I have made another mistake; I shouldn't have used a comma before 'and' and should have used 'that' after 'and'.
"Do you think about a year is very short relatively given 'a decade ago' in the context, and 'recently' indicates about a year?"
=>Do you think about a year is very short relatively given 'a decade ago' in the context and that 'recently' indicates about a year?

Fivejedjon · Answer

park sang joon"Do you think about a year is very short relatively given 'a decade ago' in the context, and 'recently' indicates about a year?"

If you do not use 'that', I see no harm in the comma.
If you are going to use one 'that', I think it's better after 'Do you think'.
In writing, I'd probably use 'that twice. I might well use the comma.

Do you think that about a year is very short relatively given 'a decade ago' in the context, and that 'recently' indicates about a year?

Lately without 'until(till)'

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