be about to—be on the point of doing smth.:
- But just as he was about to say something, he forgot what it was he was about to say.
be not about to—
1. be not going to do smth. soon:
- It seems that conventional teaching is not about to be supplanted by virtual universities.
2. (U.S. coll.) be unwilling to do smth.:
- “I’m sorry, I can’t lend you the money. I may need it….” “Hey, why don’t you just say that you’re not about to.”