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MUSCOVITE Posted 14 years ago
Vocabulary

I won't be a minute.

Hi,

Hang on.. I wont be a minute.

This phrase looks to me like a contracted form of another ('full-fledged') expression... Something like
"I won't be someone who may keep you waiting more than a minute" (smiley).

If you could comment on 'I won't be a minute' and "I won't be too long' that ( I must confess) look a little unusual to me ....

thank you!

mus-te
  

Top answer

", it means something more like "be away for this length of time". For example, I would naturally say "I'm going to the supermarket; I'll be half an hour". To me, this is equivalent to "I'm going to the supermarket; I'll be THERE FOR half an hour" or "I'll be AWAY FROM YOU FOR half an hour", or "I'll be BACK IN half an hour".

— KrisBlueNZ

  • ", it means something more like "be away for this length of time".
  • For example, I would naturally say "I'm going to the supermarket; I'll be half an hour".
  • To me, this is equivalent to "I'm going to the supermarket; I'll be THERE FOR half an hour" or "I'll be AWAY FROM YOU FOR half an hour", or "I'll be BACK IN half an hour".
  • Or you could replace BE with TAKE: "I'm going to the supermarket; I'll TAKE half an hour [to do the shopping]".
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3 Answers
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In those cases, BE doesn't refer to "being a person who will keep you waiting ...", it means something more like "be away for this length of time". For example, I would naturally say "I'm going to the supermarket; I'll be half an hour". To me, this is equivalent to "I'm going to the supermarket; I'll be THERE FOR half an hour" or "I'll be AWAY FROM YOU FOR half an hour", or "I'll be BACK IN half a
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Hi KrisBlueNZ,I really like the way you explain things. Thanks a lot!
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MUSCOVITEThis phrase looks to me like a contracted form of another ('full-fledged') expression.
Right. It is.

I won't be (away for more than) a minute. ~ It will only take me a minute (or less) to do this, so please wait for me.

CJ
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