. . . and hated every minute.

[shootingstar]

In one life she had no social media accounts. In one life she'd never drunk alcohol. In one life she was a chess champion and currently visiting Ukraine for a tournament. In one life she was married to a minor Royal and hated every minute.
(The Midnight Library by Matt Haig, episode The Many Lives of Nora Seed)

What does "and hated every minute" mean in this context? I suspect the literal meaning doesn't work here.

 

[jutfrank]

She hated every minute of being married to a minor Royal. What's the literal meaning that you're thinking of?

 

[shootingstar]

What's the literal meaning that you're thinking of?

The literal meaning is "she hated every minute." (Please have a look at the OP).
However, obviously she didn't hate every minute but every minute of being married. She was completely unhappy in that life. There was not a single moment of it that she enjoyed.
It does not literally mean she was checking a clock and hating each individual minute.

 

[emsr2d2]

No one would think that she checked a clock every minute. The original sentence is simply a shortened (but completely understandable) way of saying "In one life she was married to a minor royal and she hated every minute of it". The unsaid "of it" isn't required. The "it" would refer to the previously mentioned marriage.

 

[SoothingDave]

Dear Diary,

12:01 - Hated it
12:02 - Hated it
12:03 - Hated it

 

[shootingstar]

12:01 - Hated it
12:02 - Hated it
12:03 - Hated it

Nevertheless, another example:

She stayed in the relationship for five years and hated every minute.

I consider "hate/hated every minute" (w/o "of it") to be an idiom of sorts, notwithstanding.

 

[SoothingDave]

"She hated the entire time period," in other words. Every minute. It's not an idiom.

There was not a single time that she enjoyed it. It may be exaggeration, or hyperbole.

 

[jutfrank]

There was not a single moment of it that she enjoyed.

Is it possible for someone to live an entire married lifetime without a single moment of enjoyment? Were there not at least sixty continuous seconds at any point of her married life that were not spent in a state of hatred? No, it's hyperbole, of course, which is one way that the words are not meant literally. Still, that doesn't mean it's an idiom in the sense we teachers use it.

However, I think you are cleverly picking up that the phrase love/hate every minute/second (of something) is actually something of a very loosely-fixed expression. The (of something) part is not essential to the expression, and when it isn't spoken, it's when context has already said what the experience is.

 

[shootingstar]

That's a fine reply of yours. Thank you very much.

 

[Skrej]

Some 80's rock music that probably was not her jam.

Lovin' Every Minute of It

Edit: Note the current tour dates below the video. Yes, you can seem them live this very weekend.

 

[jutfrank]

Lovin' Every Minute of It

Thanks for the recommendation but I hated every second.