Avangi  +  964710 Sun, 08 Nov 09 01:02 AM The decision is not made until during surgery. Hi, Why does this bother me?  Is "during" a precise enough time to mark "until"? Granted, some limiting events may be prolonged, but isn't "during" deliberately prolonged? I just can't seem to swallow it. ". . . if I have to sit here until Hell freezes over!"  (no problem) We don't really care if this means until it starts to freeze over or untill it's completely frozen over. I'd have no problem with: until the time of surgery until sometime during surgery until surgery Many thanks,  - A. Avangi Joined on Mon, Nov 19 2007 Veteran Member 8,182 ". . . le plaisir delicieux et toujours nouveau d'une occupation inutile." - Henri de Regnier Prepositions

	Mister Micawber  +  964749 Sun, 08 Nov 09 02:22 AM It doesn't really 'bother' me, in the sense that it sounds like a pretty normal informal utterance.  I don't see that precision or duration enters into it, really-- it's just the juxtaposition of prepositions that we are unused to:  until (sometime) during surgery. Mister Micawber Joined on Wed, Aug 4 2004 Yokohama Veteran Member 30,803 'The question is,' said Humpty Dumpty, 'which is to be master-- that's all.' Prepositions

	Avangi  +  964782 Sun, 08 Nov 09 03:20 AM Thanks, MrM.  I read somewhere that one thing we don't lose as we age is our ability to reason. But I find I'm relying more on instinct and less on logic.  Hopefully, common sense resides somewhere between the two. Avangi Prepositions