A New York minute is an instant. Or as Johnny Carson once said, it's the interval¹ between a Manhattan traffic light turning green and the guy behind you honking² his horn.

 

“纽约一分钟”指的就是一瞬间。或者就像约翰尼·卡森说过的，它是从曼哈顿交通信号灯变绿到后面那辆车的司机按喇叭催你快走的那一小段极为短暂的时间。

 

It appears to have originated in Texas around 1967. It is a reference to the frenzied³ and hectic⁴ pace of New Yorkers' lives. A New Yorker does in an instant what a Texan would take a minute to do.

 

这一说法好像是1967年左右起源于美国德克萨斯州的。当时这一说法暗指纽约人急促忙乱的生活节奏。一个德克萨斯人花一分钟做好的事情，一个纽约人一转眼就做好了。

 

Example:

 

I'll have that ready for you in a New York Minute.

等我“纽约一分钟”，我很快就给你准备好。