recently so long

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "recently so long" is not correct and does not make sense in written English.
It seems to be an attempt to convey a time-related concept, but it lacks clarity and proper structure. Example: "I haven't seen you recently, but it feels like so long since we last met."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

1 human-written examples

As Adam Brandt, an energy expert at Stanford University, pointed out to me recently, so long as the demand is there, energy producers are going to search for new supplies of fossil fuel — many of them using unconventional means like tar sands extraction.

The New York Times

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

58 human-written examples

What took them so long?

The New York Times

If you look at it evolutionarily, our lifespan has only recently been so long.

Independent

The list of allegations against notorious photographer Terry Richardson recently grew so long that Richardson defended himself in a Huffington Post blog, then spoke out in a New York Magazine cover story.

Huffington Post

As share prices have risen recently, so have long-term bond yields.

The Economist

For Labour, a party that was in power so recently and for so long, an acrimonious debate about whose record is worse is unlikely to produce a decisive winner.

The Guardian - Opinion

Leaders including Prime Minister Wen, President Hu Jintao and Deputy Prime Minister Li Keqiang, the man expected to succeed Mr. Wen, have visited Greece, Portugal, Hungary, Spain and Italy recently, "so Ireland is long overdue," Mr. Parello-Plesner said.

The New York Times

Some think Shakespeare was looking back nostalgically to an age when men were men and chivalry just that, as compared to the foppery of his own Elizabethan court; others take the opposite view, that he is extolling the virtues of dynamic, progressive Elizabethan England as against the civil slaughter that had so recently, and for so long, bedevilled his beloved homeland.

The Guardian

But as one industry observer recently told HuffPost, so long as companies are tasked with monitoring themselves, "there will always be ways to cheat".

Huffington Post

He was not afraid of courting controversy, even as recently as last month: "So long as there are people living in Israel who endured the Nazi concentration camps, Wagner should not be performed there.

The Guardian - Music

"We have recent good experience of playing Wales, when we won against them over in Dublin recently, but also not so long ago we lost 3-0 to Wales, so it's a bit of a mixed bag.

BBC

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Avoid using the phrase "recently so long" as it is not grammatically sound. Rephrase your sentence to clearly convey your intended meaning using more appropriate alternatives.

Common error

Be cautious about directly combining temporal adverbs like "recently" with duration phrases like "so long". Instead, clarify the relationship between the recent event and the duration by restructuring your sentence.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "recently so long" does not function as a standard grammatical unit. As Ludwig AI points out, it lacks clarity and proper structure, failing to convey a coherent meaning in written English. The phrase appears to be an attempt to link a recent event with a duration, but it requires restructuring to be grammatically sound.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

100%

Less common in

Science

0%

Formal & Business

0%

Wiki

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "recently so long" is grammatically incorrect and lacks a clear, recognized meaning in standard English. Ludwig AI confirms this by pointing out that it doesn't follow standard grammar rules and lacks proper structure. While the individual words "recently" and "so long" are valid, their combination in this specific order doesn't form a coherent phrase. If you intend to convey a sense of duration associated with a recent event, it is best to use alternatives such as "lately for a long time" or restructure your sentence for clarity. Despite appearing in some sources, its infrequent and incorrect nature makes it advisable to avoid this phrase in formal or professional writing.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

lately for a long time

This alternative changes the word order and uses "lately" instead of "recently" for similar meaning.

recently for an extended period

This phrase provides a more descriptive way of expressing a long duration that started recently.

not long ago

This alternative offers a simpler and more common way to express a recent past event.

in the recent past

This phrase emphasizes the time frame as being in the recent past.

just a short while ago

This alternative softens the time frame, suggesting it was not too long ago.

a short time ago

A simpler form to indicate something happened in the near past.

in recent times

This phrase specifies that something has occurred within the current era.

of late

This alternative provides a slightly more formal way to say recently.

in recent memory

This phrase emphasizes that something is still within one's memory.

in recent history

This alternative is suitable when discussing events within the scope of recent history.

FAQs

Is the phrase "recently so long" grammatically correct?

No, the phrase "recently so long" is not grammatically correct and is not recognized as a standard English expression. It's advisable to use clearer and more grammatically sound alternatives.

What are some alternatives to "recently so long"?

Instead of "recently so long", you can use alternatives like "lately for a long time", "recently for an extended period", or "not long ago" to express a similar idea.

How can I use the concept of "a recent long duration" in a sentence correctly?

You can structure your sentence to clearly indicate the relationship between the recent event and the duration. For example, "I haven't seen you recently, but it feels like "so long" since we last met".

What's the difference between "recently" and "so long"?

"Recently" refers to something that happened in the near past, while ""so long"" indicates a duration or a farewell. They serve different grammatical functions and cannot be directly combined in the way "recently so long" attempts to.