not for one minute

not for one minute

Not for any length of time; not at any point; not at all or in any capacity. Not for one minute did I think this would be a winning ticket, so I was totally gobsmacked to find out I'd won the jackpot! A: "So, did you suspect we were throwing you a surprise party?" B: "No, not for one minute!"
See also: minute, not, one
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

not for a/one ˈminute/ˈmoment/ˈsecond/ˈinstant

(informal) not at all; definitely not: I didn’t think for a minute that he was married. Not for one instant would I ever consider going there on holiday again.
See also: instant, minute, moment, not, one, second
Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary
See also:
  • not for a minute
  • not for a second
  • not for a moment
  • not for a/one minute/moment/second/instant
  • not for a instant
  • aint
  • ain't
  • (I) hope not
  • hope not
  • be like ships in the night
References in periodicals archive
"Not for one minute are we going to take a backward step, especially in these last two games."
"I'm not for one minute suggesting modular homes alone will help us meet that significant demand but here in Birmingham we are convinced this sort of construction has a part to play," he said.
"I do not for one minute want Solskjaer to fail but already it feels like the scale of the job could be too big for him," Redknapp wrote in his column in theDaily Mail.
Do not for one minute allow him to win by focusing on his deeds.
"I do not for one minute think that he intended to harm himself," she said.
Not for one minute are we suggesting that an issue as complex as mental health can be easily sorted but if we take these steps, the first steps, then perhaps we can help someone.
I am not for one minute supporting male bullies, however.
Not for one minute would I have suggested that the real matriarchs of the district - the Mums, Mams, Nins, Nans and Grans - were anything other than strong characters who didn't suffer fools gladly.
Not for one minute am I condemning Caixinha for being civilised to the Celtic manager who had just overseen as one-sided an Old Firm match as has been witnessed for years.
Naturally, we're all here to soak up real-life Bob on the big screen and not for one minute does the endlessly purring pussy disappoint.
"I'm not for one minute suggesting that every child should undergo dental checks, [I'm] just saying that when somebody looks significantly older than 18, you can test people to make sure that they're giving their correct ages.
However, do not for one minute assume that the latest Morgans are like driving a museum exhibit from the 1930s.
It would be extremely foolish to even think that way and not for one minute do I think I've only one horse to beat."
Lyndsey Bradley Not for one minute, and I'm sick of being branded as racist because I voted out!!!!!!
Not for one minute did he look like giving the winner a race but he was sent off at 40-1, which would suggest not much was expected of him.