I used the phrase "we'll mull it over" in an e-mail. My intent was to let the readers know that we (the team) needed to give it due consideration and come up with a considered response to their obviously important question. To my mind, we clearly needed to think things over, but for how long? I meant overnight (though didn't say so), but my audience assumed we would take a week.
What period of time (if any) does the use of the word mull convey?
Best Answer
Mulling takes an indeterminate time. If you're mulling wine, you heat gently, and add spices; it might take twenty minutes. If you're mulling over a life-changing decision, you might take several weeks, possibly longer. Anywhere in between might be counted as mulling.