once or one time? / one time too many (2025)

I actually only know "once", "twice", but "three times", "four times" etc. to be used and common words. Now I discovered other variants, and I wonder how and when they're used:

once --> one time

"once" means "not more than one single time", but what does "one time" mean then? Is it archaic or rare?

twice --> two times

I very often see "twice" to be used in the sense of "one (time) more than one single time", but I also very often see and hear "two times". First I thought it means "two difference times (referring to minutes and seconds)", but I suppose that would rather be "two tenses" (just in grammatical sense). So I kept on contemplating and I guessed it must be another way of expressing "twice". Is that so? How so?

thrice --> three times

Up to ten minutes ago, I only knew "three times", but then I discovered a website containing "thrice". I guessed the meaning, of course, but I looked it up. So as I did, I found out that it is archaic and not used anymore; the reason I haven't known it yet. What do you think? Do you use it?

For me, the normal series is once, twice, 3 times, 4 times, etc.

"one time" and "two times" in the sense equivalent to "once" and "twice" are to me slightly more emphatic versions. For example, I might say, "once is one time too many." "Thrice" for me is so archaic I can't even use it for humorous purposes.

I would tend to use once when I mean "it happened once, but it will probably never happen again."

Eg: I once tried experimental drugs and decided that the risk wasn't worth it.

In addition to the primary meanings, which have been covered by remosfan and modgirl, once can mean formerly, as in "once upon a time."

Also "from the time that," as in "once you've known a good woman, nothing less will satisfy you."

Twice can also mean double, not "two times," as in "I feel twice as bad as I did this morning." As the example shows, the quantity involved can be indefinite or subjective.

Thrice is as explained, but sometimes archaic words can be used in earnest. Wiccan spells use thrice a lot, for example.

"Once" and "one time" are generally interchangeable. So are "twice" and "two times." The single difference is that "once" and "twice" are used more frequently.

As for the other uses, a few comments--

***In "one time too many," the meaning is not literal.

He's offended me one time too many. = He's offended me too much.

NOT

He's offended me exactly one time more than what would be appropriate.

***FFB's first "once" is the German "einst."

***Just like you can say "twice as bad," you can say "three times as bad," "four times as bad," etc.

Once too often does mean just that, sometimes-- in fact I'd say most often the phrase denotes a "breaking point." "One straw too many" on the camel's back.

"I sat there without rising to the bait while you damned everybody and his uncle, up one way and down the other-- but when you got around to my sister, you opened your mouth once too often. That's why I finally closed it for you."

"One time too many" works the same way, but is not quite as colloquial.

Elroy is right about einst-- in fact that word is the exact cognate of once, if not the primary sense. In fact in hardcore Southern AE dialect it is even pronounced "wunst."

There is another meaning of "one time" which appears now and again. It refers to the past.

An example is "he is a one time footballer", meaning that at some time in the past he was a footballer. I view this as broadly equivalent to "some time footballer" but I may be wrong.

But the term "one time footballer" might also mean, perhaps critically or in humour, that he only ever played football once. (Perhaps, like me, he was so bad that no-one ever let him back a second time...)

foxfirebrand said:

Once too often does mean just that, sometimes-- in fact I'd say most often the phrase denotes a "breaking point." "One straw too many" on the camel's back.

"I sat there without rising to the bait while you damned everybody and his uncle, up one way and down the other-- but when you got around to my sister, you opened your mouth once too often. That's why I finally closed it for you."

"One time too many" works the same way, but is not quite as colloquial.

Elroy is right about einst-- in fact that word is the exact cognate of once, if not the primary sense. In fact in hardcore Southern AE dialect it is even pronounced "wunst."

Click to expand...

How about this?

-Why are you so annoyed at Richard?
-Well, he's stolen my belongings once too often/one time too many.

Is that a reference to one specific time?

How about:

Why are you so annoyed at Richard?
Well, he's stolen my belongings.

Yes, I think if you choose to add "once too often" or "one times too many" you are adding something in meaning, namely that he "reached his limit" with you. By that one most recent theft.

You weren't annoyed with him after all those prior times?
If so, why add "one time too many?" Doing so would not mean "he's annoyed me too much." In fact to my ear that's just not idiomatic.

If it's been an annoyance all along, you'd say "because he keeps stealing my belongings."

foxfirebrand said:

How about:

Why are you so annoyed at Richard?
Well, he's stolen my belongings.

Yes, I think if you choose to add "once too often" or "one times too many" you are adding something in meaning, namely that he "reached his limit" with you. By that one most recent theft.

You weren't annoyed with him after all those prior times?
If so, why add "one time too many?" Doing so would not mean "he's annoyed me too much." In fact to my ear that's just not idiomatic.

If it's been an annoyance all along, you'd say "because he keeps stealing my belongings."

Click to expand...

I think it's figurative.

More detail: He stole my stuff five times, and I didn't mind. The sixth time I did get annoyed (that was the one time that crossed the line). Then he did it again. So it's actually been two times too many.

Then someone asks me why I'm so annoyed at him. I'd still say "He's taken my stuff one time too many," even if it's actually been two times.

To my ear "one time too many" can mean "too much." Am I the only one?

Guys,

We're mixing up frequency and nouns here - we can say
That was once too OFTEN
That was THE one TIME I really got annoyed with him

One is frequency which is always once, twice, etc., thrice if you really must, and the other refers to an event.
Clear as mud, huh!
Alex

So, if I got it correctly...

I'd say "That was once too often!" when someone, say, annoyed me *one time too many* ?

elroy said:

I think it's figurative.

More detail: He stole my stuff five times, and I didn't mind. The sixth time I did get annoyed (that was the one time that crossed the line). Then he did it again. So it's actually been two times too many.

Then someone asks me why I'm so annoyed at him. I'd still say "He's taken my stuff one time too many," even if it's actually been two times.

To my ear "one time too many" can mean "too much." Am I the only one?

Click to expand...

How about this sentence:

The writer eventually made the decision to stop playing the game after staying up all night one too many times.

http://edition.cnn.com/2009/SPORT/football/03/12/football.manager.addiction/index.html

Does it mean He can't stand staying up all night too often that he stopped playing the game?

Yes, it means that the writer can't stand staying up all night, so he stopped playing the game.

First the writer stayed up all night 'one too many times'.
Then he made the decision to stop playing the game.

Thanks Cagey.
Does "one too many time", like ebrony asks, only a reference to one specific time, carrying a sense that "If you do it again, that'll be too much". For instance:

"Stop playing the game, that'll be one too many time"?

Hi everyone,

Have you ever heard or seen the phrased used in the sense other than "pushing one's luck?, e.g. "Stop making jokes at Kate's expense, her patiance is wearing thin, if you do it again that'll be one time too many".

I was wondering whether it can actually be employed in such a context:

A: But I only lied to you once!
B: And it was one time too many!