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swift

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Life is short and time is swift.

Prov. You should enjoy life as much as possible, because it does not last very long. Jill: Want to go to the movies with me? Jane: Oh, I don't know; I should probably stay at work and finish a few things. Jill: Come on, Jane, life is short and time is swift.

See also: and, life, short, swift, time

*quick as a wink

 and *quick as a flash; *quick as (greased) lightning; *swift as lightning

very quickly. (*Also: as ~.) As quick as a wink, the thief took the lady's purse. I'll finish this work quick as a flash. Quick as greased lightning, the thief stole my wallet.

See also: quick, wink

swift and sure

fast and certain. (As with the flight of a well-aimed arrow.) The response of the governor to the criticism by the opposing party was swift and sure. The boxer's punch was swift and sure and resulted in a quick knockout and a very short match.

See also: and, sure, swift

*swift as an arrow

 and *swift as the wind; *swift as thought

very fast. (*Also: as ~.) The new intercity train is swift as an arrow. You won't have to wait for me long; I'll be there, swift as thought.

See also: arrow, swift

quick as a wink

Also, quick as a bunny or a flash . Very speedily, as in He was out of here quick as a wink, or She answered, quick as a bunny. These similes have largely replaced the earlier quick as lightning, although quick as a flash no doubt alludes to it (also see like greased lightning), and quick as thought, now obsolete. The bunny variant dates from the mid-1800s, the others from the late 1800s.

See also: quick, wink

swift

1. mod. smart and clever. Excuse my brother. He’s not too swift.

2. mod. sexually fast or easy, usually said of a woman. Britney is swift, they say, but I find her to be a perfect lady.