A few minutes shy of _______ ?''?

Question

Okay, I have no idea what that phrase means!! can somebody please help me with this? I need the definition and some examples of usage...

For example, what does that phrase mean in this sentence: "Imagine a class where you sit for a few minutes shy of two hours on a high stool holding a notebook, a pen..."

Gracias!
Vic

Answer 1

It means a little bit less than 2 hours. Like 1 hour and 57 minutes or something like that.

Answer 2

A few minutes shy of an hour.

Answer 3

A few minutes shy of bringing this to a resolution. A few minutes shy of resolving the matter. A few minutes shy of completeness. A few minutes shy of completing the package. A few minutes shy of closing.

Answer 4

Ah ok! muchas gracias! =D

Answer 5

shy of= falta tiempo/cantidad...

pocos minutos menos de dos horas

casi dos horas

Answer 6

Gracias Heidita por tu reply =)

mm creo que todavía no lo entiendo muy bien.
Por ejemplo en esta oración, qué significaría? "Imagine a class where you sit for a few minutes shy of two hours on a high stool holding a notebook, a pen..."

Answer 7

Hola victoria: unos pocos minutos antes de las 8.30.

It's a few minutes off. -> not enough or too many.
It's a few minutes over. -> too many.
It's a few minutes shy. -> not enough.

En España lo más normal diríamos:

son casi las..

No falta casi nada para las...

Van a ser las....

Mira esta definición:

4 shy(p)

short; "eleven is one shy of a dozen"

She's 25 dollars shy -> le faltan 25 dólares. (haz doble click en shy y encuentras muchas definiciones.)