General
a minute
What does a minute mean?
Ironically, a long while. 'It's been a minute' means it's been ages.
"Damn, it's been a minute since I saw you!"
Origin
AAVE/NYC; 'a minute' inverted to mean an extended period.
Frequently asked questions
What does 'a minute' mean in slang?
Ironically, it means a long time — 'it's been a minute' means it's been ages, not literally sixty seconds.
How do you use 'a minute'?
Usually in the phrase 'it's been a minute,' as in 'Damn, it's been a minute since I saw you!'
Where does this use of 'a minute' come from?
It comes from AAVE and NYC speech, where 'a minute' is inverted to mean an extended period.
Study it as flashcards or scroll it in Vocabulary Flow — saved to your collection.
