round tuit

English

WOTD – 5 March 2021

Etymology

An artist’s impression of a round tuit.

A play on words, re-interpreting the idiom “when I get around to it” as “when I get a round tuit”.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ɹaʊnd ˈtuːɪt/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /ɹaʊnd ˈtuɪt/, /-ət/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Hyphenation: round tu‧it

Noun

round tuit (plural round tuits)

1. (US, humorous) A circular object supposedly giving its owner the ability to get done everything that would have otherwise been put off to a later date "when they got around to it". [from late 20th c.]
   • [1971 July 11, “Hawkins-Corlew’s Round Tuit [advertisement]”, in James E. Charlet, Jr., editor, Clarksville Leaf-Chronicle, volume 162, number 158, Clarksville, Tenn.: Leaf-Chronicle Company, →OCLC, page [9-B]:

     Hawkins-Corlew ’round tuit [repeated caption on a circle] […] How many things have you missed, cause you never got round tuit? Well … we’re getting round tuit now. A sale on EVERYTHING that bears the CHEVY name, that we have in stock …]

   • 1975 May 19, Jean Prather, “Worth mentioning: Collection of round tuits grows”, in Stewart E. Huffman, editor, The Republic, Columbus, Ind.: Robert N. Brown, →ISSN, →OCLC, page A6, column 2:

     Almost everyone seems to be collecting something or other these days, and I am collecting round tuits. As of now I have a metal round tuit, a sticker round tuit and three round tuits clipped from publications – one being this column in The Republic, so perhaps that one really doesn't count. […] Who needs a round tuit? – why, just about everyone. How many times have you and I told ourselves or someone else that we would follow through on something just as soon as we got a round tuit. Now there was one for everyone – so no more excuses.

   • 1977 September, “This Rotary World: The Clubs in Action”, in Willmon L. White, editor, The Rotarian: An International Magazine, volume 131, number 3, Evanston, Ill.: Rotary International, →ISSN, →OCLC, page 39, column 2:

     Your magazine meant to report on the club's resolve long ago, but in the press of time and space—you guessed it—we never got "A Round Tuit."

   • 1979 October, “CURE PROCRASTINATION!! with A ROUND TUIT™ [advertisement]”, in Texas Monthly, Austin, Tex.: Mediatex Communications, →ISSN, →OCLC, page 164, columns 1–2:

     Tired of being told, "I'll do it as soon as I get A ROUND TUIT"? Now you can give A ROUND TUIT to your favorite procrastinator(s) as a gentle hint to get "around to it." A ROUND TUIT … the only "Cure" for Procrastination … is a beautifully designed, solid bronze coin that serves as a constant reminder to get things done.

   • 1990 August–September, Chip Beck, “Supercrat: The Super Bureaucrat: ‘A Round Tuit’ [cartoon]”, in Sanford Watzman, editor, State: The Newsletter, number 336, Washington, D.C.: United States Department of State, →ISSN, →OCLC:

     How often have you asked a co-worker for help … a boss for guidance … a subordinate for a memo … a clerk for a file … or considered doing something yourself … … only to hear or say "OK—when I get a round tuit!" Well here you have it! A round tuit! Now you have no excuse! You've got a round tuit of your very own … now get off your duffs and do all those things you've been putting off until you got a round tuit! Instructions: just cut out your round tuit, compliments of Supercrat and State Magazine, hang it in your office … and get to work!

   • 2003, Kara Eckmann, Duffy Robbins [et al.], “Extreme Friendship”, in Rick Wesselhoff, editor, Can I Really Relate? (Custom Curriculum), Colorado Springs, Colo.: NexGen, Cook Communications Ministries, →ISBN, page 119, column 1:

     Many students mean to express value to one another but they never get around to it. Make a "round tuit" for each student by tying the ends of a 3-foot rope together. Scatter several round tuits on the ground and have each student stand in one. Tell half the group to move clockwise and the other group to move counterclockwise and step in as many "round tuits" as time allows. If someone else is in the "round tuit" they step in, they must tell that person an "I value you because …" statement before moving on.

   • 2003, Zig Ziglar, “The Time is Now”, in See You at the Top, 25th anniversary edition, Gretna, New Orleans, La.: Pelican Publishing Company, →ISBN, segment 1 (Stairway to the Top), page 45:

     When you get your "Round Tuit," keep it with you at all times. And when someone asks you to do something you would normally promise to do as soon as you "get around to it," you will be reminded that you already have your "Round Tuit," so you can go ahead and do it.

   • 2005, William Carroll, “Replace the Space”, in The Untied Stats on American: And Other Computer Assisted Writing Errors, Lincoln, Neb.: iUniverse, →ISBN, page 42:

     Novelty shops sell lots of little gadgets which they call "round tuits." Customers buy them to present to chronic procrastinators who always say they will do what needs to be done as soon as they can "get around to it." The person(s) making the presentation will confront the procrastinator and say, "You have no more excuse for delaying; you now have a round tuit."

   • 2019 September, Rivka Galchen, “A Round Tuit Chapter”, in Rat Rule 79: An Adventure, Brooklyn, New York, N.Y.: Restless Books, →ISBN, page 91:

     I've got a pretty long list of things I'm going to do when I get a Round Tuit. I'm going to clean my house when I get a Round Tuit. And learn how to ride a bicycle when I get a Round Tuit.

Usage notes

• The term is often used in the form “get a round tuit”, which is used in place of “get around to it”.

Derived terms

• ENOTUITS
• tuit

Translations

circular object supposedly giving its owner the ability to get done everything that would have otherwise been put off to a later date