in the twinkling of an eye
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in the twinkling of an eye
Immediately; very quickly; at once. Just call us on this number if you have any problems, and we'll be back in the twinkling of an eye. Don't worry, boss, I'll have this report typed up in the twinkling of an eye!
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2015 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.
in the twinkling of an eye
and in the wink of an eyeFig. very quickly. In the twinkling of an eye, the deer had disappeared into the forest. I gave Bill ten dollars and, in the twinkling of an eye, he spent it.
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs. © 2002 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
in the twinkling of an eye
In an instant, as in The breakup of Yugoslavia created many warring nations in the twinkling of an eye. This hyperbolic expression, which alludes to the very brief time it takes for an eye to blink, is heard less often today. [c. 1300]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer. Copyright © 2003, 1997 by The Christine Ammer 1992 Trust. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
in the ˌtwinkling of an ˈeye
very quickly: Her mood can change in the twinkling of an eye.Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary © Farlex 2017
twinkling of an eye, in the
Very fast; quick as a wink. This reference to the speed of the blink of an eye comes from the Bible, where Paul, writing of the Last Judgment, says, “. . . we shall all be changed. In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump . . . the dead shall be raised incorruptible” (1 Corinthians, 15:51–52).
The Dictionary of Clichés by Christine Ammer Copyright © 2013 by Christine Ammer