Idiom Category: Time

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Against the clock: If you do something against the clock, you are rushed and have very little time to do it.
Ahead of time: If something happens ahead of time, it happens early or before the set time.
Around the clock: If something is open around the clock, it is open 24 hours a day. For example, an airport is open around the clock.
Behind the times: Someone that is behind the times is old-fashioned and has ideas that are regarded as out-dated.
Better late than never: This idiom suggests that doing something late is better than not doing it at all.
Big time: This can be used to with the meaning 'very much'- if you like something big time, you like it a lot.
Call it a day: If you call it a day, you stop doing something for a while, normally at least until the following day.
Come of age: When something comes of age it develops completely and reaches maturity. When someone comes of age, they reach adulthood or fulfill their potential.
Crunch time: When people, companies, etc, have to make an important decision that will have a considerable effect on their future, it is crunch time.
Day in the sun: If you have your day in the sun, you get attention and are appreciated.
Don't know whether to wind a watch or bark at the moon: If you don't know what to do, you don't know whether to wind a watch or bark at the moon.
Dwell on the past: Thinking too much about the past, so that it becomes a problem is to dwell on the past.
Eleventh hour: If something happens at the eleventh hour, it happens right at the last minute.
Even a broken clock is right twice a day: This is used when people get lucky and are undeservedly successful.
('Even a stopped clock is right twice a day' is also used.)
Feast today, famine tomorrow: If you indulge yourself with all that you have today, you may have to go without tomorrow.
Five o'clock shadow: A five o'clock shadow is the facial hair that a man gets if he doesn't shave for a day or two.
For the time being: For the time being indicates that an action or state will continue into the future, but is temporary. I'm sharing an office for the time being.
Full of the joys of spring: If you are full of the joys of spring, you are very happy and full of energy.
Fullness of time: If something happens in the fullness of time, it will happen when the time is right and appropriate.
Girl Friday: A girl Friday is a female employee who assists someone without any specific duties.
Given the day that's in it: (Irish) This idiom is used when something is obvious because of the day that it occurs: traffic, for example would be busy around a football stadium on game day, given the day that's in it. On any other day the traffic would be unexplainable, but because its game day its obvious why there is traffic.
Good time: If you make good time on a journey, you manage to travel faster than you expected.
Have your moments: Someone who has his or her moments exhibits a positive behavior pattern on an occasional basis but not generally.
He'll rue the day: He'll rue the day that he crossed me. This means that the person will one day bitterly regret what they have done.
Here today, gone tomorrow: Money, happiness and other desirable things are often here today, gone tomorrow, which means that they don't last for very long.
Hour of need: A time when someone really needs something, almost a last chance, is their hour of need.
In an instant: If something happens in an instant, it happens very rapidly.
Just in the nick of time: If you do something in the nick of time, you just manage to do it just in time, with seconds to spare.
Laugh a minute: Someone who is a laugh a minute is very funny.
Legend in your own lunchtime: Somebody who becomes a legend in their own lifetime acquires fame, but often only to a select or specialist audience, while they are still alive.
Like clockwork: If something happens like clockwork, it happens at very regular times or intervals.
Like there's no tomorrow: If you do something like there's no tomorrow, you do it fast or energetically.
Like there's no tomorrow: If someone does something like there's no tomorrow, they do it to an extreme level.
Long time no hear: The speaker could say this when they have not heard from a person, either through phone calls or emails for a long time.
Long time no see: 'Long time no see' means that the speaker has not seen that person for a long time.
Make my day: If something makes your day, it satisfies you or makes you happy.
Nick of time: If you do something in the nick of time, you do it at the very last minute or second.
No time like the present: If people say that there's no time like the present , they believe that it is far better to do something now than to leave it for later, in which case it might never get done.
No time to lose: If there's no time to lose, then it's time to get started otherwise it won't be finished on time.
Not born yesterday: When someone says that they weren't born yesterday, they mean that they are not naive or easily fooled.
Not on my watch: Someone distancing themselves from a situation could say that it is not on their watch.
Now and then: This idiom means 'occasionally'.
One-man band: If one person does all the work or has all the responsibility somewhere, then they are a one-man band.
Open all hours: If a shop or suchlike is open all hours, it only closes, if at all, terribly late.
Pass the time of day: If you pass the time of day with somebody, you stop and say hello, enquire how they are and other such acts of social politeness.
Play for time: If you play for time, you delay something because because you are not ready or need more time to thing about it. Eg. I knew I had to play for time until the police arrived.
Pressed for time: If you are pressed for time, you are in a hurry or working against a very tight schedule.
Question of time: If something's a question of time, it's certain to happen, though we don't know exactly when.
Since time immemorial: If something has happened since time immemorial, it's been going on for such a long time that nobody can remember a time without it.
Small-time: If a person or a thing is called 'small-time' it means they're inconsequential, not worth much, don't play in the 'big leagues', as in 'a small-time operator'.
Some other time: If somebody says they'll do something some other time, they mean at some indefinite time in the future, possibly never, but they certainly don't want to feel obliged to fix a specific time or date.
Spur of the moment: If you do something on the spur of the moment, you do it because you felt like it at that time, without any planning or preparation.
Stitch in time saves nine: A stitch in time saves nine means that if a job needs doing it is better to do it now, because it will only get worse, like a hole in clothes that requires stitching.
Strange at the best of times: To describe someone or something as really weird or unpleasant in a mild way.
Stroll down memory lane: If you take a stroll down memory lane, you talk about the past or revisit places that were important to you in the past. (You can also 'take a trip down memory lane'.)
The sands of time: The sands of time is an idiom meaning that time runs out either through something reaching an end or through a person's death. It comes from the sand used in hourglasses, an ancient way of measuring time.
Third time's the charm: This is used when the third time one tries something, one achieves a successful outcome.
Time and again: If something happens time and again, it happens repeatedly. ('Time and time again' is also used.)
Time and tide wait for no man: This is used as a way of suggestion that people should act without delay.
Time does sail: This idioms means that time passes by unnoticed.
Time flies: This idiom means that time moves quickly and often unnoticed.
Time is on my side: If time is on your side, you have the luxury of not having to worry about how long something will take.
Time of your life: If you're having the time of your life, you are enjoying yourself very much indeed.
Time-honoured practice: A time-honoured practice is a traditional way of doing something that has become almost universally accepted as the most appropriate or suitable way.
To the end of time: To the end of time is an extravagant way of saying 'forever'.
Tomorrow's another day: This means that things might turn out better or that there might be another opportunity in the future.
Zero hour: The time when something important is to begin is zero hour.

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