Decoded: 'In a minute'

You find yourself bored one Friday night as you flip through channel after channel trying to find something remotely interesting to watch. Suddenly, you stop dead in your tracks and squeal in excitement -– there's a "Friends" marathon on! You think to yourself, "Wow, I haven't watched this in a minute."

A minute? The long-held definition of "a minute" is as a period of time equal to sixty seconds. But these days, some use it to represent an extremely long period of time. The expression is typically used in the past tense, but for some instances it can be used in the future tense.

Past tense:
"I haven't gone to the gym in a minute. So much for that New Year's Resolution..."
"I haven't taken my girlfriend out on a date in a minute. Maybe I'll buy some flowers on my way home to show her how much I love her."

Future tense:
Mom: "Bobby, go take out the trash!"
You: "Mom, I'll do it in a minute"
*Disclaimer: We all know it's going to be longer than an actual minute

Here are some ways people on social media have used the saying: