And there may even have been a long-term payoff in motivating some of us to continue reading and enjoying Shakespeare.

"They don't understand that a college education can have long-term economic payoffs," he added.

However, only a minority pursued seriously remunerative careers with a long-term payoff.

The concern among urban planners is that short-term worries may blind city fathers to the long-term payoffs.

It depends also on business willing to invest for long-term payoffs, a well-educated work force and a government able to encourage savings and investment.

But this investment has the higher long-term payoff.

There might be a long-term payoff from some of these new products.

Even modest new investments offer long-term payoffs of increased productivity and reduced crime and dependence.

But the long-term payoff is big.

Indeed, cooking with children can be the gift that keeps on giving; it has both short-term and long-term payoffs.