Got a Minute? How Long It Lasts Depends on Where You Are.

We all know what “minute” means, right? It’s a small duration of time. We have many bigger time periods — millennia, centennia, generations, decades, years, months, days, hours, before we finally reach the next-to-smallest unit of all, the minute.

Using “minute” is a way to indicate a duration of time more extensive than the blink of an eye but still close to the present moment. It’s often a promise to the listener: “Forgot my keys, I’ll be back in a minute.” Or “I’ll be able to seat you in a mi...