How long is "One Minute " ?

Well yes "One Minute" may also turn out to be "One Hour"!!!I think this trend of responding started because it is a softer way of responding to an otherwise somewhat haughty "Wait" reply.

That's really funny curious888. LOL But, I know what you mean. I guess it's just a common phrase that people use to mean a short peiod of time. It's relative to the person using it. Some people actually mean 60 seconds but who's counting. Some people say "one minute" and you never hear from them again, they must've forgot. When you're on the phone and they say "one minute" if it's someone you know it could mean 5 minutes but if it's a professional assistant they really mean one minute unless you get a recorded message. But that's a good question. I hope you get lots of responses. Take care.

This has become an expression to most of us to imply that "it will only take a short while". It's not necessarily a minute or anywhere near a minute. Usually, I notice depending on the tone of voice, how low it will be. If he/she is shouting, it's serious and may actually take more than a minute. A quick "in a minute" may actually mean less than a minute as well.

Yeah, there're also 3 or 5 minutes, oh, you may have to wait for about half an hour or 50 minutes. I really don't like this kind of saying. If you can't make it, say "sorry, you have to wait 30 or 50 minutes", that's ok, then i can plan my work and do some awarding things.I don't want to ask every 3 or 5 minute"how long". That's tough **Enjoy life~~**

for me its like saying 'just for a sec' ...cos a minute is too long already to wait.... just like at the fastfood for your pending order,then you will complain on the manager,then will answer you 'for a sec mam,ill check' but they will come back for half an hour...and your so hungry already... i dont know what exactly they mean to let the people wait...uhm this applies to those who like to be waited...im confuse duh...

i never say one minute.i always say"i will be back in TWO minutes"heheehe i think other people face similar experience with me.may be i take more then two mints

I used to have this same problem with my husband, and it drove me absolutely nuts. I reminded him that I was courteous enough to tell him 1 minute when I meant it, and 1 hours, when I meant that, and if isaid "I'll be ready in five minutes," I was, and that I expected the same courtesy out of him. It worked!

I think that saying is overused also and it is not used right alot of times LOL. Alot of times, people will say, in a minute, and it turns into several minutes, hours, days, if it ever happens. I think when someone says, in a minute, then that is exactly when it should happen. Some people say, just a sec also which means just a second. That is over and misued also. Those seconds also turn into several seconds, minutes, hours, days, years, etcetera.

Yeah,it is a so called common expression for day to day conversation,in the US they used "Hold on for a second" but not necessary means literal meaning of second.Good day.