What does 'begin in earnest' mean?
1, These are article titles.

a,Budget meetings begin in earnest

b,Impaired-driving roadblocks begin in earnest on Friday

Does this expression emphasize the severity, greatness, extension of the main events?

2, This is a part of an article

A settlement over a lawsuit concerning the project's environmental impact report in 2013 allowed construction to begin in earnest.

Does it mean that the 'real' construction started in 2013?

Question

What does 'begin in earnest' mean?
1, These are article titles.

a,Budget meetings begin in earnest

b,Impaired-driving roadblocks begin in earnest on Friday

Does this expression emphasize the severity, greatness, extension of the main events?

2, This is a part of an article

A settlement over a lawsuit concerning the project's environmental impact report in 2013 allowed construction to begin in earnest.

Does it mean that the 'real' construction started in 2013?

Answer

"Begin in earnest" implies that they had started before, maybe planning or doing a few isolated things, but now they are really going to put in serious effort toward the task.

Answer

1. "In earnest" means that the meetings are getting more attention and effort than before. If there had been earlier meetings, they may have been shorter, infrfequent, less conclusive or involving fewer participants.

2. As written, it would mean the report was in 2013. However, it is a bit ambiguous, and the writer may mean either the lawsuit or its settlement instead. But probably not the construction.

Answers · 4

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