name used in two figures of speech
Wikipedia
Jack Robinson (mythical person) - Wikipedia
June 1, 2025 - Jack Robinson is a name present in two common figures of speech. When referring to Jack Robinson, it is used to represent quickness. In contrast, the phrase "(A)round Jack Robinson's barn" has the opposite connotation, implying slowness, as it is often used to refer to circumlocution, ...
Dictionary.com
BEFORE YOU CAN SAY JACK ROBINSON Definition & Meaning | Dictionary.com
Before you can say Jack Robinson definition: Also, quicker than you can say Jack Robinson. Almost immediately, very soon, as in I'll finish this book before you can say Jack Robinson. This expression originated in the 1700s, but the identity of Jack Robinson has been lost.
Videos
June 4, 2021
128
TheFreeDictionary.com
Before you can say Jack Robinson - Idioms by The Free Dictionary
Very quickly or suddenly. (The true identity of Jack Robinson is unknown.) I'm not far from your house, so I'll be there before you can say Jack Robinson. Before I could say Jack Robinson, Tom had leapt to his feet and rushed out of the room. Before I could say Jack Robinson, a deer darted ...
Phrase Finder
Before You Could Say Jack Robinson - Meaning & Origin Of The Phrase
December 20, 2023 - Grose’s 1811 edition of the Classical Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue defines ‘Jack Robinson’ thus: “Before one could say Jack Robinson; a saying to express a very short time, originating from a very volatile gentleman of that appellation, who would call on his neighbours, and be gone ...
Cambridge Dictionary
before you can say Jack Robinson - Cambridge English Dictionary
before you can say Jack Robinson definition: 1. used to say that something happens very quickly: 2. used to say that something happens very…. Learn more.
Word Histories
‘before one can say Jack Robinson’: meaning and origin
June 20, 2022 - The colloquial phrase before one can, or could, say Jack Robinson and its variants mean extremely quickly or suddenly.
UsingEnglish.com
'Before You Can Say Jack Robinson' Meaning - UsingEnglish.com
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.
Wiktionary
before you can say Jack Robinson - Wiktionary, the free dictionary
There is some speculation that ... as “a talking bragging bufflehead.”), and the phrase does not appear in print until 1778. ... Very quickly; quicker than one expects. ... You have to be careful in that area. They'll have your wallet before you can say Jack ...
Cambridge Dictionary
Jack Robinson definition | Cambridge English Dictionary
Jack Robinson meaning: 1. used to refer to something being done or happening very quickly: 2. used to refer to something…. Learn more.
Quora
English has an idiom “before you can say Jack Robinson.” Why is it “Jack Robinson” and not another name, and what does the idiom mean? - English for Students - Quora
Answer: People’s names have very nuanced connotations in language. A bit of history can often help, but many times it’s just a ‘sense’ of the name. I’m sure in your language there are names that conjure up images of an older person, a science geek, a country bumpkin, a sneaky guy etc.
Langeek Dictionary
Definition & Meaning of "Before can say jack robinson" | Picture Dictionary
The exact origin of the idiom "before someone can say Jack Robinson" is uncertain, but it has been in use since at least the 18th century.
Idiom Origins
Idiom Origins - Before you can say Jack Robinson - History of Before you can say Jack Robinson
Before you can say Jack Robinson Origin and History - This rather long-winded way of saying very quickly or with great speed dates from 1778 when it first appeared in the romantic novel Evelina by Frances D’Arblay...
Dictionary.com
QUICKER THAN YOU CAN SAY JACK ROBINSON Definition & Meaning | Dictionary.com
Quicker than you can say Jack Robinson definition: see before you can say Jack Robinson.. See examples of QUICKER THAN YOU CAN SAY JACK ROBINSON used in a sentence.