John came direct/directly from London

Question

Choose the correct sentence.

A. John came direct from London

B. John came directly from London.

C. John directly came from London.

The given answer is A.

directly is an adverb. So what is the error in B and C?

Answer 1

I would understand:

direct from London to mean that he did not stop or deviate on the way. A direct flight is one that goes from your departure point to your intended destination without intermediate stops.

directly from London to mean that he wasted no time in coming from London. He came directly (meaning immediately) after getting the news.

The person who set the test was either unaware of the alternative meaning or had the first meaning in mind.