"Hurry up and wait" is a phrase used to refer to the situation in which one is forced to hurry in order to complete a certain task, or arrive at a certain destination, by a specified time; only for nothing to happen at that time, often because other required tasks are still awaiting completion. The phrase may have originated in the
United States military
The United States Armed Forces are the military forces of the United States. The armed forces consists of six service branches: the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, Space Force, and Coast Guard. The president of the United States is the ...
in the 1940s.
"Hurry Up and Wait"
The American Heritage Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer. Houghton Mifflin Company. Many U.S. military veterans, in particular, consider this phrase to be synonymous with military culture.
See also
*Project management
Project management is the process of leading the work of a team to achieve all project goals within the given constraints. This information is usually described in project documentation, created at the beginning of the development process. Th ...
* Parkinson's law – in other contexts, work expands to fill the time available
References
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Military slang and jargon
English phrases
1940s neologisms