long time en · INTJ · etymology 1
Pronunciation
- (Australia) audio
Etymology
A shortening of It's been a long time (since […] ).
Meanings
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(idiomatic) Used as part of greeting of two people who have not been in contact for a long time.
long time no see!
"Hey, Lewis; long time, man." / "Jack." / They shook hands.
2008, Sadie Jones, The Outcast, page 262:
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Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see long, time.
"You’ve been a long time!" "Admittedly, I did stay (for) a long time, but she stayed even longer".
Deriveds
a week is a long time in politics · you're a long time dead · long time no see · long time no hear · a long time in coming
Translations (4)
pt há quanto tempo (used as part of greeting of two people who have not been in contact for a long time) · gl canto tempo (used as part of greeting of two people who have not been in contact for a long time) · es cuánto tiempo (used as part of greeting of two people who have not been in contact for a long time) · pl kopę lat (used as part of greeting of two people who have not been in contact for a long time)