Real Soon Now

Don't worry, that bug will be fixed in TheNextRelease, which will be out RealSoonNow. -- RobertField

Several years ago, in (I think) comp.lang.lisp, Lisp luminary Scott Fahlman posted this, which contains my favorite definition of the term:

In case you're not a computer person, I should probably point out that "Real Soon Now" is a technical term meaning "sometime before the HeatDeathOfTheUniverse, maybe".

-- GlennVanderburg

I have to interject that this is a CatchPhrase often seen by JerryPournelle in ByteMagazine whenever he has a prediction to make. RSN == RealSoonNow has become a BuzzWord throughout the InterNet. -- ChrisGarrod

I've always used it to mean: NotNowMaybeNever. -- KyleJerviss

The best explanation for "Real Soon Now" I've ever seen is: "Soon, possibly never." We want to have it done soon, that really would be best, we'd all hope that would be the case, but, life being what it is... wear a helmet. -- BenScott


  1. When's that?
  2. RSN.
  3. When's that?
  4. Real soon now.
  5. GOTO 10

See also: AlarmBellPhrase, LiterallyMeaningFiguratively