‘It’s Been a Minute’ Means More Than the Time it Suggests

This week, someone I know on Facebook posted the video where the 1993 Ohio County High School Marching Band had a medal ceremony for our third-place finish in finals that October. By the way, there were no final performances that year due to two factors, it snowed and it rained, and I think WKU had a daytime football game. Finals back then were always held at L.T. Smith Stadium in Bowling Green. Thus, the field would be in bad shape, but the weather exacerbated the situation.

And here's the video, thank you, Dennis Cook!  My little speech starts at 11:30:

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Yes, it's been a minute since my marching band's triumph. Do you use the phrase "it's been a minute"?

I think the first time I heard the phrase was from a friend in the Nashville area. Here's the thing, it doesn't literally mean a minute; it could mean days, weeks, months, or in the case above, it means decades.

I mostly use it in cases where I haven't seen friends or other people I know or I have known in a long time. I also use it when I hear a song, I see something on TV, or a movie I used to love, and I discover I still love and I miss all these people and things. The phrase is no doubt rooted in nostalgia.

It's been a minute since I've been to a WKU football game or a state band festival. And of course, it's been a minute since someone has referred to me as "Leona", really, it's been a very long minute.