# instantly, in a second



## ThomasK

You will understand the expression, as in "I can do that *in a second* (…)". What I am looking for are metaphorical expressions to refer to that short timespan... 

In Dutch for instance we'd say: _*in een handomdr*aai_ (in a turn of the wrist maybe, if that is possible in English).


----------



## Circunflejo

Some options in *Spanish*:

En un segundo.
En un abrir y cerrar de ojos.
En un periquete.
En menos que canta un gallo.


----------



## TheCrociato91

*Italian *(there are surely more)

in men che non si dica (loosely: "quicker that can be said / uttered")
in quattro e quattr'otto (loosely: "in four plus four (equals) eight")
in un baleno (loosely: "in a flash")
in un battibaleno (same as above)
in un batter d'occhio ("in the blink / twinkling of an eye")
in un attimo ("in a second", "in an instant")
all'istante (same as above)
seduta stante (literally: "during the session", used to mean "immediately", "on the spot" or "in situ").

@Circunflejo
I remember being taught the phrase "en un santiamén" in Spanish. Is that used as well?


----------



## Circunflejo

TheCrociato91 said:


> I remember being taught the phrase "en un santiamén" in Spanish. Is that used as well?



Sure! I just quoted the first ones that came to my mind. I know that @ThomasK likes to make follow-up questions so I didn't want to make a long starting list. Sooner or later, other options will be quoted...


----------



## ThomasK

@Circunflejo : great. I am not sure about #3 and 4: something around (peri?) and _*in a cock's schriek/ cry*_/..? _En un sentiamen_???

@TheCrociato91 : wow! Thanks for the explanations!

I put the ones in bold that are quite new to me. I know on the spot in English, not the Italian or Dutch version. We could use _*stante pede,*_ from Latin...​


----------



## Circunflejo

ThomasK said:


> _En un sentiamen_???



Santiamén=Sancti+Amén In other words, the two ending words of the prayer in nominem Patris et Filii et Spiritus Sancti. Amen. Sancti and amen were usually said quickly and joined as if it was a single word.



Circunflejo said:


> En menos que canta un gallo.



Some people links it with Matthew 26; 69-75 while others link it just with the short duration of a cock crow.



Circunflejo said:


> En un periquete.



The origin of this one isn't clear. The most accepted theory is that it can be a metathesis of _repiquete_ (a quick bell ringing).


----------



## apmoy70

Greek:

(1) *«Αμέσως»* [aˈme.sɔs] (adv.) --> _immediately, at once_ < Classical adv. *«ἀμέσως» ămésōs* (idem) < Privative prefix *«ἀ-» a-* + Classical adj. *«μέσος» mésŏs*

(2) *«Ασκαρδαμυκτί»* [a.skar.ða.mikˈti] (adv.) --> _unblinkingly_ < Classical adv. *«ἀσκαρδαμυκτί» ăskărdămūktί* --> _without winking, unblinkingly_ < Privative prefix *«ἀ-» a-* + Classical v. *«σκαρδαμύσσω» skărdămússō* (Attic variant *«καρδαμύττω» kărdămúttō*) --> _to blink/wink/twinkle_ (with obscure etymology, possibly pre-Greek).

(3) *«Εν ριπή οφθαλμού»* [eŋ ɾiˈpi ɔf.θalˈmu] --> _in the twinkling of an eye_, a set phrase taken from the Christian Bible (First Paul's epistle to the Corinthians: «ἐν ἀτόμῳ, ἐν ριπῇ ὀφθαλμοῦ, ἐν τῇ ἐσχάτῃ σάλπιγγι· σαλπίσει γάρ, καὶ οἱ νεκροὶ ἐγερθήσονται ἄφθαρτοι, καὶ ἡμεῖς ἀλλαγησόμεθα» - "in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed." (1st Cor. 15:52 NKJV).

(4) *«Αστραπιαία»* [a.stra.piˈe.a] (adv.) --> _like lightning_ (no further explanation needed). The adverb is denominative from the Classical fem. noun *«ἀστραπή» ăstrapḗ* & *«ἀστεροπή» ăstĕrŏpḗ* --> _lightning, lightning bolt_ (possibly a compound of 3rd declension masc. *«ἀστήρ» ăstḗr* + oblique *«ὀπ-» ŏp-* of Classical noun *«ὤψ» ṓp͜s* (with disputed gender masc. or fem.) --> _eye, face, countenance_ (PIE *h₃ekʷ- to see cf Skt. ईक्षते (īkṣate), _to look, observe_).

(5) *«Όσο να πεις κύμινο»* [ˈɔ.sɔ na pis ˈci.mi.nɔ] --> _(as fast as) to say cumin_ (I found no explanation why we use cumin specifically).

(6) *«Στο άψε-σβήσε»* [stɔ ˈa.p͜se ˈzvi.se] --> _(as fast as) to kindle and quench (a candle, a match)_.
The verbs used are:
(I) The imperative of *«άπτω»* [ˈap.tɔ] --> _to kindle_ < Classical v. *«ἅπτομαι» hắptŏmai̯* (note the different voice, in ancient Greek the v. was in mediopassive voice, in MoGr it's in active voice) --> _to kindle_ (PIE *h₂ep- _to join, fit_ cf Hitt. ḫapp- _to join_, Lat. _apere_),
(II) The imperative of *«σβήνω»* [ˈzvi.nɔ] --> _to quench, put out_ < Classical v. *«σβέννυμι» sbénnūmĭ* --> _to quench, extinguish_ (PIE *(s)gʷes- _to extinguish_ cf Skt. जासयति (jāsayati), _to exhaust_).

(7) *«Στο πι και φι»* [stɔ pi ce fi] --> _(as fast as) to say pi and fi_ (the theory is that teachers in Byzantine elementary schools had the pupils recite quickly the labial consonants in the Greek language «β-π-φ»).

(8) *«Σε χρόνο dt»* [se ˈxrɔ.nɔ de te] --> _in dt time_ ('differential (of) time' an extremely small period of time); a "nerdy" expression.

(9) *«Αμελλητί»* [a.me.liˈti] (adv.) --> _promptly, without delay_ < Classical adv. *«ἀμελλητί» ămĕllētí* --> _promptly, without delay, negligently, carelessly_ < Privative prefix *«ἀ-» a-* + Classical v. *«μέλλω» méllō*; a learned expression used predominantly in court.


----------



## ThomasK

Circunflejo said:


> Santiamén=Sancti+Amén (…) Sancti and amen were usually said quickly and joined as if it was a single word.
> Gallo: some people link it with Matthew 26; 69-75, while others link it just with the short duration of a cock crow.
> Periquete: the most accepted theory is that it can be a metathesis of _repiquete_ (a quick bell ringing).


Great, very interesting!

@apmoy70 : so references to seeing, to light, which I recognize: _*in een oogwenk*_ (in a blink of the eye), «Αμελλητί» reminds me of *'onverwijld'* (without taking (even) a while, immediately), is also fairly formal. The reference to speaking seems uncommon to me, although there might be an expression that I cannot remember now that does refer to speaking in Dutch.

This has been quite interesting already!


----------



## Sardokan1.0

*Sardinian :*
_
Ind'un'iscutta = literally "in a beat" (iscutta is the feminine past participle of "iscudere" = to beat  - Latin "excutere")
Totu ind'una = literally "all at once", suddenly_


----------



## ThomasK

That reminds me: _all of a sudden, at once_ in English, although I do wonder whether this still means "instantly, in a second"; it is more like "unexpectedly", I think.

But _Ind'un'iscutta,_ _in a dash_ (I think) are perfect, it seems to me_. _


----------



## Circunflejo

Some more in Spanish:

En un suspiro (in a sigh).
En un soplo (in a breath/blow).

En un visto y no visto (literally, in a seen and unseen. Think of a magician showing you something and hiding it without you realizing it).
En un pispás (variant: en un plisplás). This one is onomatopoeic. Two theories: 1) The sound of shaking something quickly. 2) The sound of giving someone 2 slaps.
En un dos por tres. 2x3 is quick to say by itself but it's said that it's due to the quickness of the sales with pay 2, get 3 offers although that may be just a legend, who knows!

En un decir Jesús. Jesús is what is said in Spanish when someone sneezes.
En un decir amén.
En un avemaría.


----------



## Stoggler

‘In a jiffy’ is one that first popped into my head


----------



## Penyafort

*Catalan*


*En un tres i no res *('In a three and nothing') -- Probably the most used. I guess it comes from 'tres i no res' meaning a very little quantity.
*En un no res* ('In a nothing')
*En un tancar i obrir d'ulls* ('In a closing and opening of eyes = In the blink of an eye')
*En una exhalació* ('In an exhalation' = In a sigh)
*En un ai *(= In a sigh)
*En un pensament* ('In a thought')
*En un dir amén* ('In a saying Amen')
*En un dir Jesús* ('In a saying Jesus')


----------



## ThomasK

Stoggler said:


> ‘In a jiffy’ is one that first popped into my head


I suppose "in a dash" is not really  an expression; one would have to say that one "dashes to …", I suppose…


----------



## ThomasK

@Penyafort, @Circunflejo: nice lists!!! So I see references to breathing, to speaking, pronouncing rather, to an eye movement, to numbers and counting, and to religious expressions. Or do you see more of those?

Maybe the formulation of the source of the metaphors is not perfect: do suggest improvements!


----------



## Yendred

In French, also references to eye movements, counting and light speed:
_*en un clin d'oeil*_ (in the blink of an eye)
*ni une ni deux* (neither one nor two)
*en un éclair *(in a flash)

But maybe one more colorful is:
*en deux coups de cuillère à pot* (within two dippings of a pot spoon)


----------



## ThomasK

First  prize as for originality! Or is anyone else claiming it? 

I bumped into some for German: 
- *schnurstracks *(by a tight rope, I believe)
- a*uf dem Fuß folgend, stehenden Fußes*, (stante pede)
(- unverzüglich, ungesäumt (without delay, I believe)
- *ohne Umwege* (without detours)


----------



## KalAlbè

Haitian Creole:

*lapoula (la pou la) →*_ without delay, right then, immediately, instantly_
*san pran souf → *_without taking a break, (literally: without taking a breath)_
*nan de tan twa mouvman! → *_literally: in one instant, three movements_
E.g._* I'll give this to you in no time at all!*_
_M'ap ba ou li nan de tan twa mouvman_


----------



## hui

*Finnish:*
_käden käänteessä_ (in a turn of a hand) = easily, quickly
_silmänräpäyksessä _(in a blink of an eye)


----------



## bibax

Czech:

*Udělám to* (I'll do it) ...

... *v okamžiku* (in an "Augenblick");
... [dříve] *než napočítáš do pěti* ([sooner] than you'll count up to five);
... [dříve] *než řekneš "švec"* ([sooner] than you say "shoemaker");
... *raz dva* ("one" two; raz = colloq. one < ráz = stroke; i.e. in two shakes/strokes);
... *v cuku letu* (twitching-flying; cuk < Germ. zucken = to twitch, Cuká mu v ráně. = Ihm zuckt es in der Wunde.; let = flight);
... *štandopede* (< Lat. stando pede, probably via German; IMHO most Czechs don't know the original meaning);
etc.


----------



## Encolpius

Czech, I'd add: natotata, ajncvaj


----------



## bibax

Yes, _ajncvaj_ from German _ein zwei_ (one two), so it is the same like _razdva_ (sometimes written together as a colloquial adverb meaning _instantly_).


----------

