in the meanwhile

In the time before something else finishes or is supposed to happen. We need to wait for the movie to download. Let's get the popcorn ready in the meanwhile. We're working to make this right, but in the meanwhile, please accept this voucher for a free meal as an apology. I know your computer's down, so I called IT. File this paperwork in the meanwhile.

meanwhile, back at the ranch

A humorous phrase used as a segue to talk about what is happening where someone lives or works. Meanwhile, back at the ranch, we're having so much landscaping work done that the whole area feels like a construction zone!

meanwhile, back at the ranch

People say meanwhile, back at the ranch when they want to talk about something that is happening in another place, especially their home or place of work. Meanwhile, back at the ranch, Condon was trying to write an article. Note: This expression comes from Western movies, in which the action regularly moves from a ranch (= large farm with animals) to some other place.

in the ˈmeantime/ˈmeanwhile

in the time between two things happening: In five minutes, there’s the news. In the meantime, here’s some music. ♢ The bus doesn’t leave until six o’clock. In the meantime we can go and have a coffee. ♢ I hope to go to medical school eventually. In the meanwhile, I’m going to study chemistry.

meanwhile, back at the ranch

As we were saying before. This formula for a verbal flashback comes from the silent Western movies popular in the 1920s, and also the radio program The Lone Ranger. During the course of a battle between settlers and Indians or cowboys and outlaws, there would be a flashback to the ranch preceded by the caption (or radio message), “Meanwhile, back at the ranch.” It soon was transferred to general conversation. During Lyndon Johnson’s presidency (1963–69), according to William Safire, the phrase was used to refer to activities at the LBJ Ranch in Texas.