In a Few, for a Few

"I'll be back in a few" is an understood and widely use idiom, but "Could you come here for a few" leaves the listener hanging for a noun.

I agree with Anon. Such an expression has not caught on. At least I haven't heard it. I'd advise against using it. The reply might be, "Say what?!?"

Thanks, both. Is there any other way you could think of in which you might say 'in a few' without any noun after 'few'?

Hiro/ Sendai

I'll be back directly / momentarily.

But I think you wanted to replace "for a few."

Could you give me a quick hand?

Could you help me briefly?

Could you come here briefly?

I'm a bit confused. I wanted to know if there is any other sentence that uses 'in a few' without a time noun following it, such as one of the topic sentences, "I'll be back in a few." Would you say, "I'm leaving in a few," for instance?

Hiro/ Sendai

Hi,
I don't remember ever hearing someone say 'I'll be back in a few'.

I wonder if it is a regional kind of expression? Or perhaps kids these days talk this way?

Best wishes, Clive

HSSI'm a bit confused.

Sorry, I knew that was what you said (quotes and everything), but I thought you meant an equivalent phrase with no noun. - A.

Clive, my youngest son picked up "back in a few" in his early 20's, ten years ago. He says he got it from friends in LA area (not the internet).