What it means
A specifically South African way of saying soon but not right this second, somewhere between now and just now, which itself could mean anything from five minutes to next week. The double now actually means sooner than just now but later than actual now. If this sounds confusing, welcome to South African time management.
Usage examples
"I will fix the gate now now, he said on Saturday morning. By Wednesday evening the gate was still broken and he was watching rugby with a beer in hand."
"I'll bring the bill now now, said the waiter, and we finished two more coffees before it arrived."
"Tell the kids now now means get in the car, not in twenty minutes when the game's over."
Where it comes from
A straight lift of the Afrikaans nou-nou, doubled up for emphasis. South African English runs a whole sliding scale of soon, where now now is sooner than just now but still nowhere near actual now, a source of endless confusion for visitors.
Other ways to say it
Editors of this term
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