ONETIME

[Gaye Christine]

I was surprised to see "onetime" as a common word in the Exemption puzzle (cost me the rosette, grrr). 
I have only ever seen it with a hyphen, unlike sometime.  Is it common in the UK / Australia / USA?

[Morbius]

I didn't get it either, and I was also surprised that it was common.  In Australia, it's heard from time to time, but in my experience, almost never in everyday conversation.  It's not unfamiliar, but it's not in common usage either.  Does that make it common or rare in Chi?  I've actually never seen it written without a hyphen. 

[mkenuk]

I was surprised to see "onetime" as a common word in the Exemption puzzle (cost me the rosette, grrr).  

Me too, it was the the one (common) word I missed in that game. I think it might be used in US - I'd probably say 'former' (lover, business partner, best friend etc) and I'd certainly write it with a good old-fashioned hyphen.
MK

[TRex]

I'd never use it as a single word.

[birdy]

I've mostly seen it hyphenated, but I googled it and apparently there is a distinction between the two forms here in the U.S., but not in other English-speaking countries, which use the hyphenated form for both meanings.  It's new, so not in most dictionaries, according to the link.

http://grammarist.com/spelling/one-time-onetime/

[TRex]

Interesting info, Birdy. I suspect most of the time, which meaning is meant can be determined by how it is used. But I think I'd rather use 'former' without ambiguity than 'one-time' or 'one time' or 'onetime' with possible ambiguity.

(Writing it as a single word got the red wiggly underline!)

[bobbi]

onetime at band camp......

[Alan W]

The word has now been made rare.