What it means
A classic Welsh way of saying I'll do it soon, just not this exact second. It sounds like a little time pretzel to outsiders, but in Wales it lands perfectly. Usually it means I've heard you, I'm getting round to it, stop flapping. The tone does the heavy lifting. Soft now in a minute is patient. Snappy now in a minute means pack in the nagging, mun.
Usage examples
"I'll take the bins out now in a minute, I said, settling deeper into the sofa. Three episodes later the bins were still there and she had that look."
"Mam asked if I had finished my homework, now in a minute I said, twenty minutes later she came back to find me reading the back of a cereal box instead, mun, she gave me the look."
"The mechanic in Swansea told me the car would be ready now in a minute, I left, came back at five, and he was just starting to look for the right spanner in the back of the workshop, calm as ever."
"I'll wash up now in a minute, mun, let me finish this tea before you start the kitchen inquisition."
"He said he'd pop down now in a minute, so obviously we all stood by the front door for ten minutes like spare lemons."
Where it comes from
This comes from Welsh English and the way Welsh rhythm and structure have long rubbed off on local English. It’s basically a settled calque from Welsh patterns of talking about time and intention, which is why it sounds wonky to outsiders but completely everyday across Wales.
Other ways to say it
Editors of this term
Your vote counts
Is this real street talk or have we lost the plot? Cast your vote.
We look after this expression together
If they say it where you live and something is missing here, bring it. A magikito looks at it and adds it.
- An example
- Your patch
- Your voice