| Idiom | Meaning | Example |
| in a jiffy |
in a minute, very soon, in a sec
|
When Dad says he'll be there in a jiffy, he means 20 minutes.
|
| in a long time |
for months or years, for a dog's age
|
I haven't seen you in a long time. Where have you been hiding?
|
| in a pickle |
in a difficult situation, in a jam
|
When the motor on our boat quit, I knew we were in a pickle.
|
| in a pig's ass [B] |
not true, unbelievable, bull, full of it
|
You wrote War and Peace? In a pig's ass!
|
| in a pinch |
in a difficult situation, in a jam
|
I was in a pinch because I had no money to pay for the meal.
|
| in a rut |
always doing it the same way, never changing the method or style
|
After ten years in the same job with the same manager in the same building, he was in a rut.
|
| in a sec |
in a second, very soon, in a jiffy
|
Wait. I'll be there in a sec.
|
| in a slump |
not performing well for several days
|
Wayne's in a slump. He hasn't scored a point in four games.
|
| in a snit |
upset, worried, in a stew
|
Ms. Mak is in a snit because she lost her cat.
|
| in a split second |
in less than a second, in a flash
|
In a split second, the cat twisted and landed on its feet.
|