text: Q:
  
  "Not long ago" vs. "until recently"
  
  Could you you tell me if there is any difference meaning between not long ago and until recently? For example:
  
  Not long ago, I would have thought it was impossible to build such a building.
  Until recently, I would have thought it was impossible to build such a building.
  
  A:
  
  In this usage, there's no difference. I have not come up with a usage where these would mean different things, or in fact where they can't be swapped for each other.
  
  