before you can say Jack Robinson

before you can say Jack Robinson
before you can say Jack Robinson & quicker than you can say Jack Robinson
Fig. almost immediately. (Often found in children's stories.) •

And before you could say Jack Robinson, the bird flew away.

I'll catch a plane and be there quicker than you can say Jack Robinson.


Dictionary of American idioms. 2013.

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  • before you can say Jack Robinson — before (you) can say Jack Robinson old fashioned if you say that something happens before you can say Jack Robinson, it happens very suddenly. I offered her a chocolate but before you could say Jack Robinson she d eaten half the box …   New idioms dictionary

  • before you can say jack robinson — The term Jack Robinson represents a short amount of time . When you do something before you can say Jack Robinson, you do it very quickly …   The small dictionary of idiomes

  • before you can say Jack Robinson — phrase immediately, or suddenly Thesaurus: happening or done quickly, suddenly or immediatelysynonym Main entry: Jack Robinson …   Useful english dictionary

  • before you can say Jack Robinson —    The term Jack Robinson represents a short amount of time . </p><p>When you do something before you can say Jack Robinson, you do it very quickly.   (Dorking School Dictionary) …   English Idioms & idiomatic expressions

  • before you can say Jack Robinson — adverb Very quickly. Quicker than you expect. You have to be careful in that area. Theyll have your wallet before you can say Jack Robinson. Syn: in the twinkling of an eye, quick as a flash …   Wiktionary

  • before you can say Jack Robinson — very quickly, in a split second, in no time    Before you could say Jack Robinson, the ghost was gone! …   English idioms

  • before one can say Jack Robinson — • before one knows where he is • before one can say Jack Robinson (from Idioms in Speech) very quickly; in no time He was very aged in the Vale you got to be a hundred before you knew where you were. (A. Coppard) ... she greeted me jovially, and …   Idioms and examples

  • quicker than you can say Jack Robinson — very quickly, before you can say Jack Robinson    The ghost was gone quicker n you can say Jack Robinson! …   English idioms

  • before you can say Jack Robinson — immediately, or suddenly …   English dictionary

  • before you can say Jack Robinson —  or knife  Instantly …   A concise dictionary of English slang

  • before can say Jack Robinson — before (you) can say Jack Robinson old fashioned if you say that something happens before you can say Jack Robinson, it happens very suddenly. I offered her a chocolate but before you could say Jack Robinson she d eaten half the box …   New idioms dictionary

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