Word usage - So

Question

I saw this in a SpongeBob episode (That's no lady):

Ok. You're fired. If someone needs me, I'll be in my office for 20 years or so

What does that mean? That "so"?

Answer 1

That "or so" is an idiom that means the preceding phrase is not to be taken literally. It usually is a synonym for "more or less" or "approximately." But in this case, it more likely indicates an acknowledgement of hyperbole.