![]() This is used to describe something that moves very fast such as a vehicle, an animal, or a person. A lightning bolt moves at 270,000 miles per hour which of course is very fast.ħ – Faster than a cat lapping chain lightning It is easy to see why this slang means very fast or sudden.Įxample – There was a party that afternoon so the scheduled meeting was over faster than a New York minute.Ĭhain lightning is lightning that moves in long zigzagged lines. People are so busy that minutes finish very quickly. New York City is full of hustle and bustle where people live a fast-paced lifestyle. This faster than expression came about sometime in the 20th century in the USA. Minnows are quick fish and could swim across a dipper in no time, hence the expression!Įxample – When the surfer saw sharks in the water, he got back to shore faster than a minnow can swim a dipper. These dippers were roughly 3 inches in diameter and held 6 to 8 ounces of water. To get water out of the bucket a utensil similar to a ladle was used, it was used to both drink out of and pour water into glasses. This is an interesting one that comes from North America that comes back from the days when homes didn’t have plumbing and running water.Īfter being carried inside from a well or spring water was kept in a bucket. Some of the fastest bullets travel at more than 1800 miles per hour.Įxample – You will have to run faster than a speeding bullet if you want to catch that train, it leaves the station in 5 minutes!Ĥ – Faster than a minnow can swim a dipper The radio show also said Superman was “more powerful than a locomotive” and “able to leap tall buildings in one bound”.įor reference bullets travel at different speeds depending on their size and what they are fired from. ![]() It was first used to describe Superman on a 1940’s radio broadcast in the USA. This originates from the fictional superhero character called “Superman”. It is often used to describe a person moving in fear or moving quickly with great agility.Įxample – When she saw the spider, she screamed and ran into the kitchen faster than a rat up a drain pipe! A rat scurries very quickly up and into drainpipes as it tries to flee danger. It of course means very fast and is related to movement. This funny phrase originated in Australia sometime in the 1960s. It is said that his visits were so short that it seemed he was leaving as he arrived.Įxample – Once the police arrived, the party was over faster than you could say Jack Robinson. This Jack or John Robinson was renowned for very short visits. This doesn’t suggest he was a brutal person.Īnother colorful idea is that it came from an 18th century London socialite with the same name. This same Robinson was was criticised for not being firm enough in handling a riot in 1675. ![]() There is no evidence of this however except that a Sir John Robinson did serve as a lieutenant at that time. He was said to be quite hasty to execute people who were beheaded very quickly. ![]() One theory is that it came from a certain Jack Robinson who was Lieutenant of The Tower of London in the 1660s. It first appears in print in the 1770s in both English and Scottish writing and means suddenly or in a very short amount of time. There are of course quite a few theories about but none of them can be proven. This odd and mysterious expression has no concrete origin. Let’s get to it and jump into the faster than expressions!ġ – Faster than you can say Jack Robinson (also used as – Before you can say Jack Robinson) Note that some of these phrases are also used with as quick as instead of faster than, and in some cases like is also substituted.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |