The phrase expresses a need to know the remaining length till a selected time. It implies an anticipation of an occasion or a deadline scheduled for 12:22. As an example, if posed at 11:57, the reply can be 25 minutes. This sort of time-related question is widespread in every day life, typically associated to appointments, schedules, or the top of a ready interval.
Understanding the passage of time and precisely estimating durations is a basic side of time administration and group. The flexibility to find out the remaining time till a selected level permits for efficient planning and allocation of assets. Traditionally, the precision of timekeeping has advanced considerably, from sundials and hourglasses to atomic clocks. The rising accuracy in measuring time displays its rising significance in fashionable society.