How long does "half an hour" mean? [closed]

Solution 1:

It depends greatly on the context.

A half-hour TV drama or quiz show will be timed very accurately to 30 minutes as it has to fit the schedule.

A recipe which calls for a dish to be cooked for 30 minutes at 200°C will indicate that the cook should examine it after about 27 minutes, see if it's done and, perhaps, cook it for another 5 minutes.

A half-hour journey, however, could take an hour or more if the traffic is heavy or there has been a road accident.

If someone says "I'm closing the shop for half an hour because I'm going to lunch" they could be back at anytime from 25 to 40 minutes after they leave.

"30 minutes" is usually more precise than "half an hour" and "37 minutes" is usually even more precise but, as I said, it does depend on the context.