Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

christmas comes but once a year

Word Rarity Uncommon

Frequency: Zipf frequency 4.68 in modern English

Syllables: christ-mas -comes but on-ce a year
IPA

44

Scrabble Score

26

Letters

4

Syllables

14

Unique Chars

Meaning

proverb

Used to emphasize the annual distinctiveness of Christmas, especially in contexts where either the special joys or tribulations of the holiday are described.

Example Sentences

"At Christmas play and make good cheere, / For Christmas comes but once a yeere."
"Chriſtmaſſe commeth but once a yeere."
"I urged to the good lady that this was Christmas-eve; that Christmas comes but once a year,—which is unhappily too true, for when it begins to stay with us the whole year round we shall make this earth a very different place; […]"
""Christmas comes but once a year, / And then Mother wishes it wasn't here.""
"Christmas comes but once a year, which is just as well—shopping during the festive season can be no fun at all."

Etymology

Apparently coined by the English poet Thomas Tusser (c. 1524 – 1580): see the 1580 quotation.

Phrases

you only go around once carpe diem

Frequently Paired Words

you only go around once carpe diem

Questions

What does christmas comes but once a year mean?: Used to emphasize the annual distinctiveness of Christmas, especially in contexts where either the special joys or tribulations of the holiday are described.
Where does christmas comes but once a year come from?: Apparently coined by the English poet Thomas Tusser (c. 1524 – 1580): see the 1580 quotation.

How to pronounce christmas comes but once a year

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