Hello, well the phrase is a little idiomatic, meaning that it is not to be taken literally. However (at least to me as an English speaker!) i feel there is some sense... i will try and explain the 'logic'. Firstly, EVERY. This is actually not necessary. "Now and then" is a valid phrase, and it still means 'sometimes'. The EVERY is a type of specifier/quantifier of sorts. For example we have 'every day', 'every other year' (every 2 years) etc. NOW is here this moment. As in the present. Maybe not NOW as I speak, but a moment in the past or future. THEN is a later/subsequent moment. (NOT NOW). Here in this odd phrase it means after the NOW (so a second separate occasion). So 'logically' (perhaps!) we have something I do in moments and also in later moments. So more than once, 'sometimes'! But actually it is not as frequent as sometimes. It means 'occasionally'. Look at this phrase: "We sometimes eat at this hotel, and every now and then we also stay the night."

"Now" is an occasion. "Then" is also an occasion. So "now and then" means "occasionally." "Every now and then" is a more definite way of saying "now and then." You can also say: "From time to time." "Sometimes." "Occasionally." "Every so often." "Now and then." "Every once in a while." "Once in a while." Lesser used: "Now and again." "Ever so often." "Once and again."

Is it "atarimae"??

Hi, I saw the phrase for the first time and since I'm a foreigner I cannot understand why every now and then means sometimes... Does what I mean make sense to you?(･_･;

Hey there, what do you mean "why?" ?