Thread: once a month / once in a month

What's the difference? There's no context, so give examples please.

"Once a month" is like a regular thing. I get a haircut once a month.

But "once in a month" would be for telling of something that only happened once. The emphasis on "only once".
Let's say you were shipwrecked on an island with a nymphomaniac cheerleader for a month and had sex only one time and you have been talking to your friend about the experience later. He may reply to you something like this.
"Are you telling me that you were stranded with this hot nymphomaniac cheerleader chick from Van Nuys California and only had sex with her once in a month?"

I'll use this story!

DDT, thanks, I got it but the story was pretty sad.

Well i only got to do it 7 times in a mo.... Oh i've said too much.

Also, 'Once a month' implies that it happens at the same time each month, where 'Once in a month' can be at any time during the month.

Originally Posted by samba

Also, 'Once a month' implies that it happens at the same time each month, where 'Once in a month' can be at any time during the month.

Sorry for my threadjacking...

Is it the same thing with the expressions "in future" and "in the furture", the former being like in future from now on, and the latter being like some continuous time in future?

"In future" sounds funny. I'd probably say "from now on at ____" for something that will happen at ____ time every time in the future. "In the future" implies at any time in the future.

"in future" and "in the furture", These can have identical meanings depending on the context. Such as;

In future, you will do things my way.
In the future, you will do things my way.

However:
In the future mankind will live and work on Mars.
("In future" construction will not work here. Actually it will work but you want to add emphsis on "future" so we use "the")

I wasn't even aware that "in future" was a real construction! *goes back and studies the hell out of the English*

"In future" is not a real construction in English.

I agree. "In future" doesn't sound natural at all, and I can't think of a place where I'd use that.

unless you use it as an adjective:

In future models, they will remove the self-destruct button.
In future inspections we will remember our pencils.

It's curious. I'll note that. Thankee.

Originally Posted by kalinka_vinnie

unless you use it as an adjective:
In future models, they will remove the self-destruct button.
In future inspections we will remember our pencils.

I agree, but in this example the construct is "future [noun]" not "in future". At this point you are talking about the [noun] not about the "future". In referring to the future itself, there is no valid construct of "in future".

Perhaps Americans don't use this construction since only Americans think that it is awkward, I have never taken much notice but I can assure you that the "in future" construction is well used in the English speaking world as a whole.

'in Future" can be used as a direct substitute for "from now on".

After scanning through the internet I was able to find a number of reputable publications that used the phrase "in future". All, like you surmised, outside of the US.

I would ask however why this construct would be valid for only one word. An example would be, if you and a friend were standing in front of the mailbox, then using the same sort of construct you would ask your friend to "put the letter in mailbox." Or, you could use the sentence, "Please pat man on head." in which case you could pat anyone's head. Regardless, leaving out an article leaves the speaker sounding uneducated.

After scanning through the internet I was able to find a number of reputable publications that used the phrase "in future". All, like you surmised, outside of the US.

I would ask however why this construct would be valid for only one word. An example would be, if you and a friend were standing in front of the mailbox, then using the same sort of construct you would ask your friend to "put the letter in mailbox." Or, you could use the sentence, "Please pat man on head." in which case you could pat anyone's head. Regardless, leaving out an article leaves the speaker sounding uneducated.

I suspect that the "In future" constructions are actually using "future" as an adjective only the noun has been dropped.

eg: In future (cases) , you will be ready on time!