finna

[Douglas G. Wilson]

>I'm not a native speaker of "finna/fixin' to" but isn't immediacy required
>for its usage?

I don't think so.

This may be a regional expression but the region must be very large. My
Webster's Third doesn't say "slang" or "informal" or anything, although
"informal" seems right to me. AHD4 says "chiefly southern US".

Webster's Third seems to equate "fixing to" = "getting set to"/"being about
to"/"preparing to"/"intending to".

I think the basic sense is "preparing to". Some things don't take much
preparation, so immediacy is implied: "He looked like he was fixing to
throw up, so I stepped back quickly." Other things take longer, and I
(Northron though I am) wouldn't blink at something like: "My son's fixing
to apply to medical school next year."

-- Doug Wilson