in short order

I

in short order

Meaning

• immediately and without difficulty.
• something occurred quickly and without trouble.
• to do something in a sequence and begin it without delay.
• something must be done right away.
• to do something rapidly and with no fuss about completing the task.

Examples in Sentences

1. The children got ready in short order to go to the park and play.
2. Jim is a good cook. He will have your food ready in short order.
3. The doctor will be in to see you in short order.
4. They thought the deployment of the Special Task Force would resolve the crisis in short order.
5. Their friendship enabled them to sign an agreement in short order.

Origin

The idiom appears to be British in origin and was first used for the notion of sequences in the 1650s. On the other hand, this phrase became popular in the US military around the 1800s and then spread throughout the United States of America. There is another theory that suggests that the idiom “in short order” has come into existence on its own because it isn’t a huge conceptual leap from its meaning.

Related Idioms

• at the drop of a hat
• at the drop of a dime

Easy, Time