0
Anonymous Posted 19 years ago
Vocabulary

What does "Along Came Polly" precisely mean?

0Could someone explain to me what the phrase "Along came ~~" means (As in "Along Came Polly"or "Along Came a Spider")? 02br
02br
00I vaguely understand what the phrase means, and know when it is used, but I would like to know precisely what type of situations or occasions are best described by the phrase. 02br
02br
00Thank you. 0-
  

Top answer

02br 02br 00eg Along came my friend, Tom. Along came inflation01i 00. 02br 02br 00Best wishes, Clive0-

— Clive

  • 02br 02br 00eg Along came my friend, Tom.
  • Along came inflation01i 00.
  • 02br 02br 00Best wishes, Clive0-
Free · every Monday

Get the Weekly English Kit 📬

New words, one handy idiom, and a 2-minute quiz — delivered to your inbox to keep your streak alive.

6 Answers
0
0Hi,02br
02br
00I'd say it's used to describe the arrival of something unexpected and of relatively minor importance.02br
02br
00eg Along came my friend, Tom. Along came inflation01i00. But not02i00 along came an earthquake.02br
02br
00It's not really a phrase that is used very often.02br
02br
0
0
0
0Thank you so much Clive for your response. 0-
0
0
0As Clive says, it's not really used in everyday conversation. You will hear it most often as a literary device in stories and poems.02br
02br
00The phrase "Along Came A Spider" comes from a traditional children's rhyme:02br
02br
00Little Miss Muffet02br
02br
00Sat on a tuffet (= hillock of grass)02br
02br
00Eating
0
0
0Thanks a lot Lil' Ruby Rose for your helpful reply!0-
0
0
0 01i00Along came Polly 02i02br
00 could mean:02br
01i00Polly joined our group at that point in time, arrived in our group02i0-
0
0
0Hi,02br
02br
00The phrase, as noted, is uncommon. However, you commonly hear it with just a slightly more conventional and different word order.02br
02br
00eg I was talking to Mary, when 01font00Tom came along02font00.02br
02br
00Best wishes, Clive0-
0

Related Questions