[exim] slow server response in accepting local smtp emails

I am trying to find out why locally generated emails take so long to be
accepted by my mail server. Most clients connect via a local intranet,
with their MUA being anything that mac/windows/linux can throw at it. I
do not have SSL on the smtp side, and I do not run local smtp traffic
thru spamassasin. Yet sending an email (even this one which I am
composing) can take several seconds before to be accepted by the
server, even AFTER seeing the "connecting to .. sending" message from
the MUA.

There are several CLI testing flags (like -bh, -bt), but these are on
the CLI and wouldn't really provide the same info which a local smtp
connection would, or _would_ they?

I am wondering if there is any way to check where the delay in
accepting the email may be?

Thanks.