Is that the time?

[Osya Bender]

Golly! Is that the time?
Gosh, is that the time?
Good Lord! Is that the time?

From dictionaries: "used to express surprise, shock or worry".

What does Is that the time? mean ? In which case one says this phrase? To express surprise at the fact that "it is high time" ?
Thank you.

 

[MikeNewYork]

Golly! Is that the time?
Gosh, is that the time?
Good Lord! Is that the time?

From dictionaries: "used to express surprise, shock or worry".

What does Is that the time? mean ? In which case one says this phrase? To express surprise at the fact that "it is high time" ?
Thank you.

I don't see "high time" in any of those. They all seem to express shock/surprise at the time. This usually means that the person has lost track of time and/or is now late for something else.

 

[Osya Bender]

I don't see "high time" in any of those. They all seem to express shock/surprise at the time. This usually means that the person has lost track of time and/or is now late for something else.

Do you mean that if one says "Is it high time?" it doesn't mean that he/she is late for smth. So - there is no reason for being surprised. But if they say "Is that the time?" it means so. In other words "high time" is earlier than "the time". Right?

 

[Barb_D]

No, you need to think of them in completely separate contexts.

"Is that the time?" -- This simply means it is later than you thought it was. Perhaps you thought was had been chatting for half an hour and realize that an hour has passed. Perhaps you went on a picnic and then realize you stayed so long you were going to get caught in rush-hour traffic getting home. It simply means it is later than you thought.

"It's high time..." is used to mean that you think something should have happened before now.
It's high time we left. (We probably should have left earlier.)
It's high time you got a haircut. (Your hair is already too long.)

The have little in common.

 

[MikeNewYork]

Do you mean that if one says "Is it high time?" it doesn't mean that he/she is late for smth. So - there is no reason for being surprised. But if they say "Is that the time?" it means so. In other words "high time" is earlier than "the time". Right?

High time has a specific definition. It means the exact time or past the exact time.

It is high time that we have an audit. It is high timer that he get out of bed.

Your example sentences have little to do with high time.

 

[5jj]

It is high time that we have an audit. It is high timer
that he get out of bed.

In British English, those sentences would be: It is high time (that) we had an audit. It is high time (that) he gotout of bed.

 

[Barb_D]

I too am more used to seeing it with a past tense verb.