Variations of the time elapsing between submission or acceptance and publication ("lapse time") of papers have been studied for 10 major analytical chemistry journals, for the 1985-1999 period. The time from receipt of all manuscripts up to their publication and the period between their acceptance and their publication were analyzed in four selected years: 1985, 1990, 1995, and 1999. The majority of the investigated journals showed good average performance with sometimes disturbing fluctuations. Talanta has not been able to catch up with the rest, while the Analyst has recently become clear leader in publication speed.