Why does an at hand word mean the opposite of an issue?
When we talk about a “the matter at hand” or “the matter at issue” both seem to mean the very same things: something along the lines of “the matter currently under discussion.” What is a difference between these two phrases?
What’s the reason why “the issue at hand” is better than “the issue at issue”?
How can you avoid using two meanings of a word so close to each other. Should calling something an issue already implies that it is at issue?
At hand means “What’s in front of us right now” i.e. our focus is on inward movement. Which is the next thing on the agenda?
At issue means ‘what’s causing trouble’, i.e. something causing the wrong outcome. e the difficult thing.
If some issue is causing trouble now, it’s the matter at issue — you don’t really want to say the issue at issue, because that draws attention to the phrase instead of the problem.
To everyone who watches me, it’s the matter at hand or the issue at hand. And if it’s the next thing on the agenda, it’s the matter at hand or the issue at hand. Both ideas you choose work and they mean the
same thing.
