"If we …, we could abolish homework in a French minute."

Odessa Dawn said:

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"If we provided after-school music lessons, museum trips, and cool sports programs to poor children, we could abolish homework in a French minute. No one would miss it."
More: Louis Menand: The End of Homework? : The New Yorker

Does that mean that helping poor children is unachievable? Or it is a daydream if you think that poor children will get help? No, it doesn't say that at all. What do you, dear native speakers, call that in English language? I don't understand this question.
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Thank you,

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Bhai.

It's a play on words. A "New York minute" is very fast, presumably since people there are always in a rush. Since this is about France, the author said a "French minute" instead.

Urban Dictionary: New York Minute

bhaisahab said:

I don't understand this question.

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Odessa Dawn said:

​

"If we provided after-school music lessons, museum trips, and cool sports programs to poor children, we could abolish homework in a French minute. No one would miss it."
More: Louis Menand: The End of Homework? : The New Yorker

Does that mean that helping poor children is unachievable? Or it is a daydream if you think that poor children will get help? What do you, dear native speakers, call that in English language?
​

Thank you,

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The sentence "

If we provided after-school music lessons, museum trips, and cool sports programs to poor children, we could abolish homework in ​

a French minute" means that they don't provide

after-school music lessons, museum trips, and cool sports programs to poor children, therefore they cannot abolish homework in ​

a French minute.

sergeyrais said:

The sentence "

If we provided after-school music lessons, museum trips, and cool sports programs to poor children, we could abolish homework in ​

a French minute" means that they don't provide

after-school music lessons, museum trips, and cool sports programs to poor children, therefore they cannot abolish homework in ​

a French minute.

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Thank you. According to the context, doesn’t "a French minute" mean short period?

Odessa Dawn said:

Thank you. According to the context, doesn’t "a French minute" mean short period?

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"A French minute" might mean a short period of time, but I would tend towards possible understanding it as a name of a radio/TV programme or as a name of newspaper/magazine column.

sergeyrais said:

"A French minute" might mean a short period of time, but I would tend towards possible understanding it as a name of a radio/TV programme or as a name of newspaper/magazine column.

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The 'period of time' reading makes good sense in the context provided. It's hard to see how a programme or magazine column makes any sense.

It seems perfectly clear to me that a person writing in a magazine called "The New Yorker" would be making a play on the concept of a "New York minute."

Odessa Dawn said:

Thank you. According to the context, doesn’t "a French minute" mean short period?

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Since in a minute = soon
therefore I guess in a French minute = soon from the point of view of French mentality.

If you make your comments on this message I will analyze them and try to answer in a Russian minute.