"I've met a lot of hardboiled eggs in my time, but you're twenty minutes"

This quote by Billy Wilder, "I've met a lot of hardboiled eggs in my time, however you're twenty minutes", is a clever and amusing method of making a point about someone's personality or behavior. To analyze it, we need to delve into the metaphorical language utilized.

The expression "hardboiled" typically explains people who are difficult, no-nonsense, and potentially cynical. It's a term often utilized in literature and film to define investigators or characters hardened by life experiences. "Hardboiled" suggests strength and an absence of sentimentality.

By stating "I've satisfied a great deal of hardboiled eggs", the speaker shows that they have encountered lots of difficult or resistant individuals throughout their life. The twist comes with "however you're twenty minutes". Normally, boiling an egg takes about 10 minutes to attain that hard-boiled state. The addition of 10 additional minutes implies that the person being attended to is excessively tough or maybe resistant to alter, to the point of being exaggerated or severe in their demeanor or outlook.

This could suggest that the person has actually taken their toughness or cynicism to a level that is uncommon or challenging to handle. It's a method of stating that the person's mindset or characteristics are so solidified that they might have crossed into stubbornness or inflexibility. The humor depends on the exaggeration-- comparing a personality type to preparing an easy egg adds a layer of lightness to the critique.

In essence, this quote is an amusing, metaphorical method to inform someone that while durability is comprehended and perhaps respected, there is a limit beyond which it becomes disadvantageous or perhaps slightly ridiculous. It's a mild nudge, wrapped in humor, to encourage a bit more softness or openness.