What Grownups Really Mean

When I was about eight, and Katie about ten (I believe), I was shopping with her and her mother. Her mother had said that it would only be "a few minutes" and then we could leave.
It ended up being several hours.

While we were wandering around with her mom, Katie and I decided we must, MUST, write a book about "what grownups really mean when they say something but don't really mean it". Sadly, this book has never been realized.

But there you go.
This post is dedicated to you, Younger Angela and Younger Katie.
Keep on dreaming.

WHAT GROWNUPS REALLY MEAN WHEN THEY SAY SOMETHING BUT DON'T REALLY MEAN WHAT THEY SAY

In a minute

Usually used when asked "how much longer?", "in a minute" generally means something along the lines of "I really don't know, but probably longer than you want to be here." When you hear "in a minute", be prepared for a very long wait.

Maybe

Translation: No.

We'll see...

Translation: No.

(Very rarely it may mean "maybe, possibly". Try to figure out by tone of voice.)

After your school...

This is usually used when you're begging for something. Its translation according to adults probably is "when you've finished what I've assigned you", but the practical translation goes something along the lines of "As soon as you finish all the piles of boring homework I've piled on you which seems worse for you than usual because you're dying to go do this thing which is more interesting than dividing fractions, then maybe we'll think about it if I'm not too tired by then which I probably will be."

No

Translation: Not right now, but if you keep bugging me about it I'll eventually cave.

I was thinking...

This usually is an unexpected surprise. Its translation goes something along the lines of "I just had an idea which you may or may not think is excellent, but I sure do, and whether or not you think so doesn't matter because I'm going to make you go through with my idea whether or not you want to because I'm an adult and you're not and I can make you do whatever I want to."

That reminds me

Translation: I'm going to go into some lengthy explanation that you don't want to hear and I'm going to end with telling you to do some tedious, boring job which you don't want to.

I'll have to think about it

Translation: No.

Ask your father/mother/sister/aunt/uncle/brother/friend/distant relation/random stranger

Translation: I'm going to make you go run a marathon to different people to ask them something to which they'll simply reply "go ask *insert name here*".

*****

There you go.

Have a little blurb of Angela's life. XD