Time idioms in English!

Audio: 4 min. 56 sec.

The English language is full of idiomatic expressions; phrases that force us to understand them as a whole rather than by checking the meaning of each word used.

We have a variety of idioms based on different topics but the more important the topic, the more idioms there are based on that topic’s language.

This time, we’re going to look at some idioms to do with time and where they come from!

"A stitch in time saves nine"

This expression means that by doing some preparation work, we can reduce the amount of work we will have to do the in the future by preventing a problem.

“In time” is another way of saying “before a deadline”, and the idiom actually comes from sewing!

By putting in an early stitch and fixing a small hole in clothing, this will stop the fabric from developing more damage in the future.

"Time is money"

For many hard workers, time is a resource just like money, and so this expression is used to express the idea that whatever you do with your time can be considered the same as what you would do with money; for example, wasting it, investing it, saving it, and so on.

This idea comes from a text written by Benjamin Franklin, a US Founding Father, who used this idiom as advice for young businessmen.

"Beat the clock"

The word “beat” has the same meaning as “defeat” or “triumph over”.

So, when used with the idea of time, this means to complete a task before a time limit runs out.

It was originally used for sporting events, as in to achieve a better speed or score within a certain time limit.

A similar idiom is “against the clock”, which refers to finding yourself under a time limit.

Nowadays this expression is used for any time pressure, whether it is an official competitive event or something personal, like buying groceries before the store closes.

"The Eleventh Hour"

Clockfaces show that the day is divided into two 12-hour periods.

When the clock strikes 12, it signals this change, either from morning to afternoon or from one day to another.

If you have ever stayed up late trying to complete something before the next day, you have lived this expression.

The eleventh hour is the small window of time before the end of a period.

We often use this idiom to warn people to prepare or do work with enough time to spare: “Don’t wait until the eleventh hour to finish the project!”.

There is some debate about where this expression comes from; some say there is a bible story that refers to the eleventh hour, but others say that it only became an expression around the 1800s, referring to 5-6pm – just before the end of the workday.

"Killing time"

Although this idiom uses the word “kill” it is actually an often-used expression that simply means to pass time by doing something unremarkable, usually while waiting for something in the future.

For example, if you are at the train station to catch a 6:30 train and it is currently 6:10, you might kill 20 minutes by browsing the internet on your phone.

Something important to keep in mind is that this is different to “wasting time”, which we use when we believe that there is something better you could be doing within a period.

The expression was originally used in books before it became a popular day-to-day idiom.

"Behind the times"

Nowadays, if someone does not have any social media, they do not use a computer or browse the internet, they could be considered behind the times, meaning that their habits and possessions are not the same as the average modern person.

It can also be used to say that somebody’s way of thinking does not match with what is expected in modern society.

Another way to say this is that they are “old-fashioned”.

This expression can be used to describe a person, but we can also use it to describe specific groups of people, towns, organisations, or even whole countries.

The first notable use of this idiom was in a book from the early 1800s by Charles Dickens, the famous English author.

There are many more idioms to do with the concept of time, but these are some of the most common.

Since a focus on time is important across the world, try thinking of any time expressions that exist in your own language and investigating if they also exist in English.

You might be surprised by how many there are in common!