Hey! Got a ‘hot minute’?

You know, this is a relatively new expression for me, so I decided to look up its meaning. That’s how I found this article. Apparently, the word can mean one of two things: a really short time or a really long time.

Well, that doesn’t exactly narrow things down, does it? I suppose one can pick up the meaning from context.

But what interested me was all the information included about how the expression developed.

The dual meanings of this phrase may have become conflated with the meaning of the phrase “hot second.” According to Merriam-Webster, a hot second is also used to mean a very brief period of time. It is unclear which meaning of hot minute came first, or if one of the two meanings was taken from the phrase hot second.

From “The Meaning of Hot Minute: What It Is and How To Use It”, https://thewordcounter.com/meaning-of-hot-minute/

This is followed by a caveat:

Overall, this phrase should be used carefully and clearly because of its dual meanings. It should be obvious what one means when they are using the phrase hot minute, so that one does not take away the wrong meaning. The phrase is very popular, and can be seen in numerous TV shows, social media sites, or online forums like Reddit.

Ibid.