fits and starts | Idiomator

Meaning: (idiomatic)Activitywhich isintermittent,variableinintensity, andprolongedbyinterruptions.Progress in this project has come infits and starts.1681,John Dryden,Epilogue for ‘The King's House’, lines1–2:We act byfits and starts, like drowning men,But just peep up, and then pop down again.1811December, [Leigh Hunt], “Art. X.—The Feast of the Poets.”, in [Leigh Hunt], editor,The Reflector,[…], volume II, number IV, London:[…]John Hunt,[…]sold by J. Carpenter,[…],→OCLC,page314:T'other day asApollosat pitching his darts, / Through the clouds of November, byfits andbystarts, / He began to consider how long it had been, / Since the bards of Old England a session had seen.1841,Charles Dickens, chapter 2, inMaster Humphrey's Clock:I spent the night infits and starts, getting up and lying down full twenty times, and dreaming the same dream over and over again.1955December 26, “Old Play in Manhattan”, inTime:It is a stammered, sleazy chronicle, told byfits and startsin bits and pieces, and constantly interrupted by the director and actors.2007, "Australian Premier vows troops pullout,"Gulf Daily News(Bahrain), 22 Dec.,Paying for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan infits and startsundermines US military planning and risks the gains made by US troops.

Examples:

EN: Foezel reached the police station in fits and starts.
ES: A trompicones, Foezel llega a su casa.
EN: By fits and starts
ES: Esporádicamente.
EN: By fits and starts, mostly
ES: A tropezones, casi siempre.
EN: That evolution occurs not along a straight graphable line but in huge fits and starts,... ..and the unimaginable happens in the gaps.
ES: La evolución es un proceso que no ocurre en forma constante, sino con altos y bajos y, mientras, ocurre lo inimaginable.
EN: Yeah, in fits and starts and, later she had to accommodate me so things shifted a little.
ES: Sí, a ratos sueltos. Luego, al llegar yo, hizo algunos cambios. Está un poco más ecléctico.
EN: But if they see you advancing in fits and starts, they'll think you'll do the same at the town hall.
ES: Pero si te ven andando a saltos y empujones, pensarán que vas a hacer lo mismo en el ayuntamiento.
EN: Advancing in fits and starts is still advancing.
ES: Avanzar a saltos y empujones aun es avanzar.
EN: It was lovely by fits and starts.
ES: Fue hermosa de vez en cuando.
EN: Instead of me stammering in fits and starts, a letter is more concise.
ES: En vez de tartamudar intentando comenzar, Una carta es mas concisa.
EN: Besides, you know science advances in fits and starts.
ES: Ademas, sabes que la ciencia avanza a tropezones y empujones.
EN: He says the work comes in fits and starts.
ES: Dice que el trabajo es por obra y servicio.
EN: If Captain Nazmi can help us get across through the mines we can follow the shoreline, with fits and starts, we can quietly approach the HMS Goliath.
ES: Si el capitán Nazmi puede ayudarnos a pasar entre las minas... podríamos seguir la costa, y a trancas y barrancas podríamos silenciosamente... aproximarnos al HMS Goliat.
EN: Let us make our way, not by fits and starts, so that some day we may arrive.
ES: Sin embargo, debemos perseguir esa meta. Sin pereza ni interrupción. Para poder alcanzarla algún día.
EN: My mind isn't there. It works in fits and starts.
ES: Mi mente no va, funciono a trompicones.
EN: It came in fits and starts.
ES: Fue poco a poco.

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