2006As time went by...
As time past... Is this okay in BrE, or do you mean 'passed'?
As time went on...
Rover
I have never heard of 'past' instead of 'passed'.
Gosh you're hard on yourself. Twenty lines should be enough.Oops!
Rover
I'm doing a hundred lines.
Idiomatic has more than one meaning; I'm not sure what you mean.Is "with the passing of time" idiomatic?
2006a[STRIKE]n[/STRIKE] sequence of words that is often used and considered a whole Yes, that's what it is. And its meaning is clear, directly from the words used.
Gosh you're hard on yourself. Twenty lines should be enough.
Gosh you're hard on yourself. Twenty lines should be enough.
A hundren lines? Twenty lines? You both have lost me there. Could you please tell my what you are talking about.
:up:
It's a reference to a school punishment of disobedient or inattentive pupils.
I was punishing myself for making a careless mistake.
Have you seen The Simpsons? In the opening sequence Bart is often shown having been kept behind after school writing the same sentence over and over again on the blackboard.
He's doing lines.
Rover