# Nek Minnit Nek Minnit, also spelled Nek Minute, is a 2011 catchphrase pulled from a short clip of New Zealand street skater Levi Hawken talking about a wrecked scooter in a thick faked accent. The line escaped a local skate film and turned into a nationwide storytelling tic across Twitter and Facebook. ## Origin The clip came from 'South in Your Mouth,' an independent skate film by Colin Evans that premiered on November 26, 2010 at the Hollywood 3 in Sumner, Christchurch[4]. In it, Levi Hawken, an Auckland street skater already known locally for bombing steep hills on a standard skateboard rather than a longboard[3], speaks in a faked heavy accent about a wrecked scooter[2]. The clip was first posted to YouTube as 'Negg Minute' on May 8, 2011[5]. A reupload titled 'Nek Minute,' posted by user phillyfan06 on August 16, 2011, pulled more than 100,000 additional views past the original[4]. - **Platform:** Skate film (South in Your Mouth) / YouTube (viral spread) - **Creator:** Levi Hawken - **Date:** 2011 ## Overview Nek Minnit works as a timing device for setup-punchline storytelling. Someone describes a normal moment, drops the phrase, then reveals whatever went sideways[6]. The delivery hinges on an exaggerated New Zealand accent that flattens 'next minute' into 'nek minnit,' making the setup sound offhand before the payoff hits[2]. The format shows up in text captions, before-and-after photo pairs, and short reaction videos that mimic Levi Hawken's original cadence[4]. Kiwis applied it to everyday mishaps, from broken skateboards to burnt cooking to awkward run-ins, with the accent doing most of the comedic work[6]. ## How It Spread Hawken's own profile got a boost on June 23, 2011 when Auckland's edition of 20/20 aired a short piece on his skating and hill bombing runs[1]. The TV coverage helped push the clip beyond the skate scene and into wider New Zealand pop culture[3]. The phrase spread on Facebook and Twitter, with hashtags #NekMinnit and #NekMinute both circulating and #NekMinnit trending in New Zealand[4]. Users picked up the line as a substitute for 'and then' or 'but then,' preserving the accent as the comic hook[2]. From there it moved outside New Zealand through skate and viral video circles, keeping its Kiwi flavour even in overseas captions[6]. ## How to Use The common convention is to describe a normal action, insert 'nek minnit' as the turn, then reveal a surprise or disappointing outcome, often paired with a photo of the aftermath[6]. Users typically write the phrase in the phonetic 'nek minnit' spelling to signal the Levi Hawken accent rather than the plain 'next minute'[2]. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### What is Nek Minnit? Nek Minnit is a 2011 New Zealand catchphrase from a short clip of skater Levi Hawken speaking in a faked accent about a smashed scooter[2]. ### Where did Nek Minnit come from? It came from Colin Evans' skate film 'South in Your Mouth,' which premiered on November 26, 2010 in Christchurch, and hit YouTube in May 2011[4]. ### What does Nek Minnit mean? It is a phonetic spelling of 'next minute' in a thick Kiwi accent, used to jump from a normal setup to a punchline showing what happened next[6]. ### How do you use Nek Minnit? Describe a normal moment, drop 'nek minnit,' then reveal the mishap or surprise, often with a before-and-after photo pair[6]. ### Is Nek Minnit still popular? Nek Minnit peaked as a New Zealand catchphrase in 2011 and 2012 and is now remembered as a classic Kiwi meme rather than a currently trending format[4]. ## References 1. [https://web.archive.org/web/20110809055734/http://tvnz.co.nz/20-20-news/june-23-4247765/video]() 2. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=22T-oWsPW1U]() 3. [https://web.archive.org/web/20100724032743/http://revok1.com/blog/2010/07/street-skating-with-levi-hawken/]() 4. [https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/nek-minnit]() 5. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=niejfZsV3FM]() 6. [https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Nek%20Minnit]() --- Source: https://meme.com/memes/nek-minnit Published by meme.com — The Internet Meme Library