i grevens tid

Swedish

Etymology

By surface analysis, i (“in”) +‎ grevens (“the count's”) +‎ tid (“time”). Believed to refer to the reign of Per Brahe the Younger in Finland during the mid-17th century, considered a prosperous time. Compare Finnish kreivin aikaan.

Adverb

i grevens tid (not comparable)

1. (idiomatic) in the nick of time, not a minute too soon

   Ni kommer i grevens tid! Befria oss innan vi krossas av stenblocket!

   You're not a minute too soon! Untie us before we're crushed by the stone block!

References

• greve in Svensk ordbok (SO)
• greve in Svenska Akademiens ordlista (SAOL)
• greve in Svenska Akademiens ordbok (SAOB)