Quick as a flash

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Meaning

Moving or reacting with lightning speed, instantaneous.

Origin

From 17th-century England, tied to lightning; 'quick as a flash' meant split-second, as in a 1678 poem on a storm. By the 19th century, it hit slang, as in Dickens' 1837 'Pickwick Papers' for a fast quip.

Variants

  • As a flash

Usage Examples

  • She dodged the ball quick as a flash.
  • He answered quick as a flash; sharp kid!
  • The cat was gone quick as a flash when I opened the door.

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