Meaning of Idiom ‘Give Me a Second/Minute’
Give me a second or give me a minute is much the same as in a second or in a minute. They are used to tell someone to allow you a brief period of time before doing something.
These phrases can be used in much the same way as ‘in a second/minute’ but ‘to do something’ is often added, e.g. ‘give me a second to explain!”
They can also be used in regards to other things besides people, as in the examples below.
Examples Of Use
“Give me a second to finish washing the dishes and then I can watch the movie with you.”
“Give the car a minute to warm up first.”
“Give it a second. The computer is slow but it still works.”
“Give me a minute. I’ll be right there.”
“Give me a minute to go over my lines,” said the actor.
Origin
Give me a minute has been used since at least the late 1800s. It is unclear when ‘give me a second’ began to be used.
