In a Jiff
/ɪn ə dʒɪf/noun
An idiom meaning very soon or in a very short time.
Did you know?The word “jiff” has no securely established origin; later, physicists informally used “jiffy” for extremely tiny time intervals, with definitions varying by field.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*en
“In, inside, or within; the ancient source of English “in” and related forms.”
Old English
Old English
in
“In, into, or within; a preposition and adverb describing interior position.”
18th Century
English
jiff
“A very short, unspecified period of time; the exact origin is unknown.”
19th Century
English
in a jiff
“An idiomatic expression meaning very soon or almost immediately.”
20th Century
Scientific English
jiffy
“An informal name for a very short time interval, sometimes assigned different technical durations.”
Modern English
English
in a jiff
“A familiar phrase meaning in a moment or shortly.”