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I noticed this repetition for the first time in South African English. The phrase "just now" means sort of now-ish, maybe in the next 30 minutes, maybe even tom
by phillc73 5y ago
I noticed this repetition for the first time in South African English. The phrase "just now" means sort of now-ish, maybe in the next 30 minutes, maybe even tomorrow. Whereas the phrase "now now" means immediately.
- OJFord 5y agoHa, interesting. (From comments I gather you're in the UK, but for the benefit of others 'just now' here would be a very short time ago; in the past: phillc commented just now.) I've struggled to explain the nuanced variations in meaning of 'quite' in BrE to a Canadian, depending on tone and other words that really have no right to make any difference. (Think 'quite nice' vs. 'really quite nice'; 'a bit' vs. 'quite a bit'. "That makes no sense", she said. Well quite.)
- phillc73 5y agoI might still use "just now" in future tense. "I'll do that just now." However, to me, this would mean very soon. Not necessarily in South Africa. "I'll be there just now" - you might be waiting for a while! It took me quite some time to adapt my expectations.
- OJFord 5y agoAh yes I can just about hear that - probably regional variation, I wouldn't use it that way myself.