in two shakes en · ADP
Pronunciation
- (Australia) audio
Meanings
-
(dated, idiomatic) Very quickly; without delay.
Skilled sheep shearers can get the wool off a ewe in two shakes of a lamb's tail.
2005 December 15, Adrian Higgins, “And All the Trimmings”, in Washington Post, page H01:In two shakes of a duck's tail Gussie, with all that lapping about inside him, will be distributing the prizes at Market Snodsbury Grammar School.
1922, P. G. Wodehouse, chapter 16, in Right Ho, Jeeves:She tried to get the case open. . . . "I wish Father was here," said Phyllis; "he'd get it open in two shakes."
1906, Edith Nesbit, chapter 2, in The Railway Children:I'll be back in two shakes of a dog's tail.
1922, Agatha Christie, chapter 19, in The Secret Adversary:by George! we would souse the Lords o' the Admiralty themselves, if they were here, in a couple of shakes
1833, J. E. Alexander, chapter 18, in Transatlantic Sketches, volume I:I'll have coffee ready in two shakes of a cow's tail.
1910, William MacLeod Raine, chapter 5, in A Texas Ranger:
Synonyms
in two shakes of a dog's tail · in two shakes of a rabbit's ass · in two shakes of a lamb's tail · in a couple of shakes · in a brace of shakes · in two shakes of a duck's tail · in a few shakes · in two shakes of a cow's tail
Translations (14)
ru в два счёта (very quickly) · it in un batter d'occhio (very quickly) · mr लगेच (very quickly) · es en volandas (very quickly) · pl w mgnieniu oka (very quickly) · es en un dos por tres (very quickly) · cs než bys řekl švec (very quickly) · fr en deux temps trois mouvements (very quickly) · cs raz dva (very quickly) · nb på null komma niks (very quickly) · is í einum grænum (very quickly) · gd ann an tionndadh na boise (very quickly) · fi tuota pikaa (very quickly) · es en menos que canta un gallo (very quickly)