Dictionary

many a time and oft

Adverb

many a time and oft (not comparable)

(archaic or literary) Frequently.
- circa 1596-1598 William Shakespeare, The Merchant of Venice, Act 1, Scene 3, 1999 [1996], The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, page 392 ↗,
  Signor Antonio, many a time and oft / In the Rialto you have rated me / About my monies, and my usances:
- 1798, William Wordsworth, The Thorn, 1851, Henry Reed (editor), The Complete Poetical Works of William Wordsworth, page 183 ↗,
  And all that winter, when at night / The wind blew from the mountain-peak, / 'Twas worth your while, though in the dark, / The church-yard path to seek: / For many a time and oft were heard / Cries coming from the mountain-head:
- 1883, Howard Pyle, The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood, Chapter VII: How Little John Lived at the Sherriff's, 2011, [http://books.google.com.au/books?id=KIylN4URDNwC&pg=PA56&dq=%22I+heard+of+thee,+but+never+did+I+hope+to+set+eyes+upon+thee%22&hl=en&sa=X&ei=wrBrUZuMBYmtiQfLzICwBw&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=%22I%20heard%20of%20thee%2C%20but%20never%20did%20I%20hope%20to%20set%20eyes%20upon%20thee%22&f=false page 56],
  "How? And art thou indeed Little John, and Robin Hood's own right-hand man? Many a time and oft I heard of thee, but never did I hope to set eyes upon thee. […] "
- 1922, James Joyce, Ulysses Episode 13: Nausicäa, 1998 [1993], Jeri Johnson (notes), Oxford University Press, page 331 ↗,
  The three girl friends were seated on the rocks, enjoying the evening scene and the air which was fresh but not too chilly. Many a time and oft were they wont to come there to that favourite nook to have a cosy chat beside the sparkling waves and discuss matters feminine, […] .

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