anon
anon — adverb
1. before long — used in literary, humorous, or deliberately old-fashioned writing
before long — used in literary, humorous, or deliberately old-fashioned writing and speech to indicate that something will happen shortly from the present moment, without pinning down an exact time
Lakan promised to return anon, yet the hours slipped by without him.
old-fashioned literary register: 'return anon'
The butler informed the guests that dinner would be served anon.
Walid smiled at the letter that ended with 'I shall write again anon.'
Heloísa told the anxious children that their grandmother would arrive anon.
The narrator assures the reader that an explanation is coming anon.
- soon
neutral and far more common; the standard word for 'in the near future' in everyday English
- shortly
slightly more formal than 'soon'; suggests a very short wait
- presently
formal or British in tone, and also somewhat old-fashioned in many regions
- before long
idiomatic and neutral; works in both writing and conversation
- later
the opposite time reference, meaning 'at some point after the expected time'
用法筆記
This word has an old-fashioned or literary flavour in modern English; it is rarely used in everyday conversation except for humorous or intentionally archaic effect.
常見錯誤
anon — abbreviation
1. a short written form of 'anonymous', used when a person's name is not known, not
a short written form of 'anonymous', used when a person's name is not known, not given, or deliberately withheld — commonly seen in author bylines, reader comments, survey responses, or crime reports
The article in the student newspaper was signed 'Anon.' because the writer feared punishment.
written abbreviation in bylines: 'signed anon.'
In the online survey, 73% of students who chose 'anon.' preferred later class times.
The caller who tipped detectives insisted on being 'anon.' in the report.
Many medieval poems are attributed to 'Anon.' because the original authors never signed their work.