Occasionally or from time to time, happening at irregular intervals.
This phrase emerged in the mid-19th century as a colloquial way to express intermittent occurrence. The word 'so' here serves as an intensifier, similar to its use in 'every so many' or 'every so long,' creating a sense of measured but irregular frequency.
What's delightful about this phrase is how it captures the human experience of irregular patterns - things that happen neither constantly nor rarely, but in that comfortable middle ground of 'sometimes.' It's more casual and conversational than formal alternatives like 'periodically' or 'intermittently.'
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