ROSEMARY ABBOTT | Culture
BLAST FROM THE PAST
Jay Holland, 33, caused a stir in his office yesterday when he accidentally dropped a “Nek Minnit” during casual conversation.
Holland, who was 20 when the phrase took New Zealand by storm in 2011, found himself having to explain the phrase to his bewildered younger colleagues, who were barely out of primary when the viral sensation hit.
“So I was working hard on the quarterly reports, and then nek minnit, the boss calls me up and we’re down the pub celebrating the financial year’s achievements”.
With the video being nearly 13 years old, one might say Holland deserved the confused stares he got in return, which is why he instantly regretted exposing himself so publicly.
The phrase “Nek Minnit” was popularised by Levi Hawken in a viral video where he famously said, “Nek minnit,” (meaning “next minute”) after showing his destroyed scooter outside a dairy. The video became an instant meme, spawning countless parodies and embedding itself in New Zealand slang.
Determined to bridge the generational gap, Jay pulled out his phone and found the original “Nek Minnit” video on YouTube.
“Ah, so that’s what it is!” Millie, a 20 year-old co-worker of Jay’s exclaimed. “I’ve seen memes with that phrase, but I just kept scrolling because why would I stop?”
Holland scrapped tirelessly trying to justify his dangerously old reference, in an effort to save face.
“Yeah, it was a big deal back in the day. Everyone was saying it. It was like the ultimate way to describe something unexpected happening.
“You know, one minute you’re doing one thing, and then… “nek minnit!” haha… ?”
More to come.
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