When a client cancels, I want to ask him to propose another time that is "nearby" to the original date. Would it be correct to say, "nearby time"? (I think not.)
I sometimes say, "Let's reschedule to a proximate time."
Is there a better expression?
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2Is there a reason to avoid soon? – deadrat Aug 24 '16 at 16:58
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2... to a time close to that? – bib Aug 24 '16 at 17:02
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1@Kristina Lopez: But that your earliest convenience introduces two concepts that aren't implicit in the original context (client is in control, OP wants it earlier rather than later), and it discards the all-important near in time to the original appointment. You also need to bear in mind that as presented here, the context is one where OP doesn't care whether the rescheduled appointment is before or after the original one, so it might be highly undesirable for him to use a form of words which implies that earlier (or indeed, later) dates might be either preferred or unwanted. – FumbleFingers Aug 24 '16 at 17:47
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1Nearby is undirected; it's spatial, but experienced time is directed. A nearby date thus means a date on either side of the reference date, like a loose boundary. If you're restricting the discussion to future dates, you should use a directed temporal like soon, or a description like what @KristinaLopez suggests. – John Lawler Aug 24 '16 at 17:49
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1@developerwjk The OP was talking about discussing a proposed time relative to the original date. Supposing the original date was 2 weeks into the future, a day earlier than that would still be in the future at the time of the discussion. – Lawrence Aug 25 '16 at 1:26
I would recommend the use of adjacent to suggest a time(frame) close to your original appointment:
a : not distant : nearby
b : having a common endpoint or border
c : immediately preceding or following
(See the "full definition" section at http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/adjacent)
"Are you available any time adjacent to our original meeting?"
This should (hopefully) satisfy the comments that the word you're seeking should suggest either a time before or after the original appointment.
answered Aug 25 '16 at 1:57
This is my first time on the site, and I am so impressed by the variety of thoughtful, insightful responses. Thank you!
For my purposes, "adjacent to the original time" is ideal. Other responses like soon, asap, at soonest convenience, etc. include a hint of urgency. In fact, if someone cancels a meeting that is two weeks distant, I don't want them to reschedule "soon", but rather as close as possible to the original time (either before or after).
Many thanks to all!
