Unless and until: Difference between revisions
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At the point in time at which X happens, then X must have happened. [[Q.E.D.]] | At the point in time at which X happens, then X must have happened. [[Q.E.D.]] | ||
To put it in a way which | To put it in a way which noted legal commentator Professor Leonard Kravitz<ref>Learned author of the celebrated monograph “''It Ain’t Over Till It’s Over''”.</ref> might recognise: | ||
“''It ain’t happened ’til it’s happened.''” | “''It ain’t happened ’til it’s happened.''” | ||
Revision as of 10:06, 6 January 2017
A cretinous expression that means simply “until”, because “until” implies “unless”. Inevitably couched as a double negative, you may see, from the nib of a fastidious wordsmith:
“Party A shall not be obligated to do any such thing unless and until state of affairs X shall have occurred.”
- “Until X” means “at any time up to the point at which X happens”.
- “Unless X” means “except if X has happened”.
At the point in time at which X happens, then X must have happened. Q.E.D.
To put it in a way which noted legal commentator Professor Leonard Kravitz[1] might recognise:
“It ain’t happened ’til it’s happened.”
But don’t let that stream of irresistible logic stop you flannelling away to your heart’s content.
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- ↑ Learned author of the celebrated monograph “It Ain’t Over Till It’s Over”.