brace of shakes

brace of shakes

Instantly, quickly, or in an extremely short amount of time, as of a task or event. "Brace," taken from the old French for the arms' breadth from hand to hand, means twice; the phrase as a whole refers either to an old nautical term, meaning the time it takes the sail to shake twice as it takes up the wind, or else the short time it takes to shake a dice-box twice. Often used in the phrase "in a brace of shakes." I'll have that ready for you in a brace of shakes. We'll be there in a brace of shakes.
See also: brace, of, shake
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.
See also:
  • in a brace of shakes
  • breadth
  • by a hair's breadth
  • hair's breadth
  • a hair's breadth
  • so yesterday
  • within a hair's breadth of (something)
  • red hot
  • boring, silly, etc. in the extreme
  • bore (one) stiff
References in classic literature
But we will swallow down Egypt in a brace of shakes, just as we swallowed Italy, and private soldiers shall be princes, and shall have broad lands of their own.
The Country Doctor
Well, I thought it did, just for a brace of shakes. What a coincidence (I thought a bit more), that it should be doing this at the same time as Worcester Operatic & Dramatic Society is looking for a black man for its production of The Full Monty.
Culture: Sheila brings Bollywood to Birmingham; Amateur Stage