English Idioms and Expressions
Idioms: TIME - 1
from: 'against the clock'
to: 'down to the wire'
- against the clock
- If you do something against the clock, you are rushed and have very little time to do it.
"They are working against the clock to have the presentation ready for Monday."
- If you do something against the clock, you are rushed and have very little time to do it.
- on the cusp
- On the cusp refers to a point in time that marks a transition or the beginning of a change.
"Some people think the world is on the cusp of a new era."
- On the cusp refers to a point in time that marks a transition or the beginning of a change.
- all along
- If something has existed or been somewhere all along, it has been there all the time, from the beginning.
"I had been looking for my keys for some time before I realized they had been in my pocket all along."
- If something has existed or been somewhere all along, it has been there all the time, from the beginning.
- better late than never
- When someone does something late, this remark means that it is better to do it late than not do it at all.
"Do you know what time it is? You promised you'd come early to help me - but better late than never I suppose!"
- When someone does something late, this remark means that it is better to do it late than not do it at all.
- in the blink of an eye
- If something happens in the blink of an eye, it happens nearly instantaneously, with hardly enough time to notice it.
"The pickpocket disappeared in the blink of an eye."
- If something happens in the blink of an eye, it happens nearly instantaneously, with hardly enough time to notice it.
- buy time
- If you buy time, you deliberately delay an action or event so that you will have
more time to achieve something.
"The lawyer representing the defendant tried to buy time in order to find more witnesses."
"If you need to buy time on the phone, tell the other person that the reception is very poor!"
- If you buy time, you deliberately delay an action or event so that you will have
more time to achieve something.
- by degrees
- If something happens or develops by degrees, it happens gradually or little by little as time goes by.
"By degrees their business relationship grew into friendship."
- If something happens or develops by degrees, it happens gradually or little by little as time goes by.
- call it a day
- When you call it a day, you stop what you have been doing because you are tired or are making no progress.
"We’ve been examining the files for hours! Let’s call it a day and continue tomorrow.
- When you call it a day, you stop what you have been doing because you are tired or are making no progress.
- clock in/out
- When you clock in or out, you record the time you arrive or leave your job by punching a time clock to the show the number of hours you have worked.
"I'm going to clock out early today. I've got a dental appointment"
- When you clock in or out, you record the time you arrive or leave your job by punching a time clock to the show the number of hours you have worked.
- cut it fine / cut things fine
- If you cut it/cut things fine, you leave barely enough time to do something.
"You're counting just an hour between the airport and the train station - isn't that cutting things a bit fine?"
- If you cut it/cut things fine, you leave barely enough time to do something.
- (a) day late and a dollar short
- If something is a day late and a dollar short, it comes too late and is not good enough.
"They offered me an internship when I had already found a job - a day late and a dollar short!"
- If something is a day late and a dollar short, it comes too late and is not good enough.
- (for) donkey's years
- If someone has been doing something for donkey's years, they have been doing it for a very long time.
"He knows the town inside out. He's been living here for donkey's years."
- If someone has been doing something for donkey's years, they have been doing it for a very long time.
- down to the wire
- If something such as project or a match goes down to the wire, the situation can change up until the last possible moment.
"There's nothing as exciting as watching a game that goes down to the wire."
- If something such as project or a match goes down to the wire, the situation can change up until the last possible moment.
More Idioms:
Time ...
Alphabetical lists: