“In two shakes (of a lamb’s tail)” is an old-fashioned informal idiom meaning very soon. The shorter “in two shakes” is also documented, and the main usage decision is tonal: the expression can sound playful or deliberately dated rather than neutral.
ReviewedEvidence1 sourceSectionPhrases & Idioms
Quick answer
“In two shakes (of a lamb’s tail)” means very soon or in a very short time. Cambridge labels it old-fashioned and informal.
Key details
Canonical FormTwo Shakes of a Lamb’s Tail
Common Short Formin two shakes
Core Meaningvery soon; in a very short time
Registerold-fashioned informal
Further guidance
Contextual Examples
I’ll have the kettle on in two shakes.
He said he would be back in two shakes of a lamb’s tail, giving the reply a playful, old-fashioned tone.
History Boundary
This guide publishes the supported current meaning and usage boundary without making an unsupported absolute first-use or coinage claim.
Meaning
“In two shakes (of a lamb’s tail)” means very soon, as in a promise that something will happen after only a brief wait.
Meaning Boundary
The phrase promises or describes a short wait; it does not specify an exact measured duration.
Practical Use
Use “in two shakes” or the fuller “in two shakes of a lamb’s tail” when you want an informal, playful way to say that something will happen very soon.
Tone Boundary
Because Cambridge labels it old-fashioned and informal, it can sound deliberately quaint or humorous in modern neutral prose.
Usage Boundary
Cambridge marks the idiom old-fashioned and informal, so it works best when that playful or dated flavor is intentional.
Sources and evidence
Sources are shown with the role they play in this guide. Historical or style-sensitive claims are kept within the evidence boundary described above.
The saying “a watched pot never boils” expresses how impatient waiting can make time feel unusually slow. This guide limits its public explanation to the present meaning supported by Oxford and does not publish a speculative origin chronology.
“Against the clock” describes working quickly to finish before a time limit and can also describe an activity in which elapsed time is recorded to compare speed. This guide keeps those current senses separate from unsupported origin chronology.
“At the drop of a hat” describes acting immediately or very readily. This guide publishes the current form and meaning supported by Cambridge without adding an unsupported story about a precise origin or first use.
To put something “on the back burner” is to postpone or deprioritize it temporarily rather than deal with it now. The guide stays with current documented meaning and does not add unsupported origin chronology.
“Better late than never” is used when a delayed action, arrival, or improvement is still considered worthwhile because the alternative would be no action at all. This guide does not claim an exact origin date.
“Burn the midnight oil” means to work late into the night. Historical phrase research reports “mid-night oyle” in Francis Quarles’s 1635 Emblemes and an earlier 1623 dictionary entry for working by candlelight, which provides context without proving a single moment of coinage.
“By Chance” means without being planned or intended, or without a known cause. Use it for accidental or unplanned occurrence; “by any chance” is a different expression often used to soften a question or request.
The informal idiom “call it a day” is used when someone decides to stop working or end an activity for the time being. This guide limits the page to the current meaning and form rather than asserting unsupported exact-origin chronology.
