quick heads up

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "quick heads up" is correct and usable in written English.
It is typically used to inform someone about something important or to give them a brief warning or notice. Example: "Just a quick heads up, the meeting has been rescheduled to 3 PM."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Tech

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

15 human-written examples

If Fallon were to actually show the images on TV, a quick, "Heads up, time to gird your loins/grab your barf bag/take a deep breath" would be basic human decency, and no one watching would think twice about it.

The Guardian - Opinion

Quick heads up for the many gamers out there: The Windows Vista edition of Halo 2 ships on May 22, despite what we said earlier.

TechCrunch

A quick heads up to say that Warp are giving away the Gang Gang Dance track Princes, their rather fab collaboration with grime MC Tinchy Stryder.

The Guardian - Music

Just a quick heads up to anyone looking to try out Sirius XM.

TechCrunch

Just a quick heads up to anyone with a new HTC Touch perhaps and a Slingbox.

TechCrunch

Just a quick heads up for all you C# developers out there.

TechCrunch

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

45 human-written examples

Just a quick heads up--if you watch this video the song will be stuck in your head for days.

Vice

But first a quick heads-up about Hurricane Sandy and its aftermath.

The New Yorker

Just a quick heads-up, as we've been chatting about games on Mac recently.

The Guardian - Tech

Keighley also deserve a quick heads-up as they have quietly re-established themselves in the Championship proper under Jason Demetriou.

The Guardian - Sport

Updated at 6.38pm GMT 6.33pm GMT Photograph: /EC 6.31pm GMT A quick heads-up: the eurogroup meeting in Brussels has finished.

The Guardian - Business

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "quick heads up" to preface important but brief information, especially when timing is a factor or someone needs to prepare for something. It's most effective when the following information is concise and directly relevant to the recipient.

Common error

Avoid using "quick heads up" in highly formal or academic writing. While acceptable in news and tech contexts, more formal language like "please note" or "preliminary notification" may be more appropriate for professional documents or scholarly articles.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "quick heads up" functions as an idiomatic expression used to preface a brief, important piece of information. It serves to alert the recipient, as seen in Ludwig examples, preparing them for what follows. Ludwig AI confirms its usability in written English.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

News & Media

50%

Tech

30%

Wiki

5%

Less common in

Science

5%

Formal & Business

5%

Sport

2%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "quick heads up" is a generally acceptable phrase used to offer a brief notification or warning. While Ludwig AI confirms its usability, it's best suited for neutral to informal contexts such as news, media, and technology-related communications. More formal situations may require alternatives like "please note" or "advance notice". Remember to use it when you need to convey important but brief information, and be mindful of the setting's formality. The frequency of this phrase is "uncommon" with the majority of usage occurring in the News & Media domain.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

heads-up notification

More formal, replacing 'quick' with 'notification'.

quick alert

Highlights the immediacy and alertness, but is less idiomatic.

brief warning

Focuses on the warning aspect, omitting the 'quick' or 'heads up' nuance.

a word of warning

Emphasizes the cautionary nature of the information.

short notice

Emphasizes the limited time frame for the notice, lacking the alert aspect.

FYI

An abbreviation of "For Your Information", this expression is more terse.

preliminary notice

Stresses the notice is given in advance, before something happens, but less urgent.

for your information

A more formal and widely used expression that offers information.

advance notice

Similar to preliminary notice, focusing on giving notice beforehand.

just so you know

An informal way of giving someone information.

FAQs

How can I use "quick heads up" in a sentence?

You can use "quick heads up" to introduce important but brief information. For example, "A quick heads up: the meeting has been moved to 3 PM."

What's a more formal alternative to "quick heads up"?

In formal contexts, consider using phrases like "please note" or "advance notice" instead of "quick heads up".

Is "quick heads up" appropriate for business communication?

While acceptable in some business settings, especially in tech or informal communications, consider using more professional alternatives such as "for your information" (FYI) or a simple "note that" in more formal business contexts.

What does "quick heads up" mean?

"Quick heads up" is an idiomatic phrase used to give someone a brief warning or notification about something important that they need to know.