Lesson 5: English Idioms with Time

Introductory Quiz
Guess the correct meaning of each idiom from the context. It's OK if you get a lot of
answers incorrect - the important part is to do your best in trying to figure it out!

Question 1

After the earthquake, volunteers worked around the clock to bring food and water to
the victims.

"Around the clock" means...

A as fast as possible
B in shifts
C without stopping

Question 2

Although scientists have made great progress in developing treatments for cancer, we're
still light-years away from curing it completely.

If something is "light-years away," it is...

A far in the future

B probably impossible
C just a few years away

Question 3

My dog starts barking every morning at 6 AM, like clockwork.

If something happens "like clockwork," it happens...

A earlier than expected

B exactly at regular times
C inside your house

Question 4

I'm leaving the office in the early afternoon so that I can beat the rush hour traffic.

"Rush hour" is...

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 A the lunch hour when everyone is driving to go get food
B the period of time with lots of traffic
C when all the cars are going too fast

Question 5

When my father had a heart attack, we got him to the hospital in the nick of time. The
doctor said that if we had waited 15 more minutes, he could have had serious
complications.

"In the nick of time" means...

A after waiting for a long time

B at the last possible moment before something bad happens
C with plenty of time to spare

Question 6

Sorry I didn't let you know that we'd be out of town last weekend. When we saw that the
weather was nice, my husband and I made a spur of the moment decision to go on a
camping trip in the mountains.

"Spur of the moment" means...

A without talking to other people

B something that could be dangerous
C suddenly and spontaneously

Question 7

Sarah has been an alcoholic for years. It's only a matter of time before she develops
liver problems.

If something is "only a matter of time"...

A it is certain to happen
B it is an unfortunate consequence
C it will not happen for a long time

Question 8

Isabelle was a stay-at-home mother for almost 30 years, and now the youngest of her
four children has left for college - so she has a lot of time on her hands.

If you have "time on your hands," you have...

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 A free time with nothing to do
B quiet time
C time to do productive work

Question 9

I sent an e-mail to my favorite singer - and he actually wrote me back! Getting his
message made my day!

If something "made your day"...

A it made you very happy

B it was unexpected
C it was the first time it ever happened

Question 10

It's as plain as day that she's had plastic surgery - nobody's face is completely free of
wrinkles at 70.

If something is "as plain as day," it's...

A beautiful
B obvious
C shocking

Question 11

It's about time you called! We've been wondering where you were for the past hour.

If you say "it's about time" something happened, you are saying...

A it is not happening at a good time

B it should have already happened
C it is the perfect time

Question 12

My son is having the time of his life at soccer camp - he doesn't want to come home!

If you're "having the time of your life," you are...

A practicing an important life skill

B really enjoying an experience
C staying in a place temporarily

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Video Explanation
#1 - around the clock = without stopping

First, let me clarify one thing: the difference between a clock and a watch. Many English
students confuse these two words.

CLOCK WATCH

The "hands" of a clock go around continuously in a circle. So if you do something around

the clock, you do it for 24 hours a day, without stopping.

#2 - light-years away = far in the future

Light travels very fast, and the total distance that light travels in
one year is called a light-year - it's about 10 trillion kilometers.
That's very far! So the idiom "light-years away" means that
something is very far in the future.

#3 - like clockwork = exactly in regular times

When a clock is working correctly, it is accurate and regular. So if something happens

"like clockwork," it is predictable because it occurs exactly at regular intervals of time.

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#4 - rush hour = the period of time with lots of traffic

Every weekday has two times that are considered "rush hour" -
in the morning from around 6-8 AM, and in the afternoon from
around 5-7 PM, because a lot of people are going to or leaving
work - so there are many cars on the road, and the traffic is
often slow or stopped.

#5 - in the nick of time = at the last possible moment before something

bad happens

This idiom is very old. In the past, a "nick" was a small cut in a
piece of wood. It was a way to mark measurement, so it had to
be very precise. So if something happens "in the nick of time,"
it happens at exactly the right moment - usually the last
moment before something bad happens. Here's an example:

My teacher said she wouldn't accept any homework after 5

PM. I turned in my assignment at 4:55 - in the nick of time!

#6 - spur of the moment = suddenly and spontaneously

People who ride horses often wear a metal piece called a

"spur" on their boots. If you kick the horse with the
spurs, the horse will start running very suddenly. So a
"spur of the moment" decision or action is done quickly
and spontaneously, without thinking a lot about it
beforehand.

#7 - only a matter of time = certain to happen

An alternative form of this idiom is "only a question of time." Both of these idioms can
be followed by "before" or "until":

"That company has been losing money for years. It's only a matter of time [before /
until] it goes bankrupt."

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Another common expression that also means something is certain to happen is sooner
or later: “If you don't correct your posture, you're going to have back problems sooner
or later.”

#8 - have time on your hands = have free time with nothing to do

A similar idiom is "have time to kill."

The difference is that "I have time on my hands" is used for free time in general, and "I
have time to kill" is used for when you have a period of time with nothing to do before
another scheduled event. For example: "I arrived at the theater much too early, so I had
some time to kill before the movie started." (Or you can say specifically how much time:
I had an hour to kill before the movie started)

#9 - it made my day = it made me very happy

If you say something "made your day," it means it made you so

happy that it made the entire day a good one!

#10 - as plain as day = obvious

In the daytime, there is lots of light and it's easy to see - differently from the nighttime,
when it's dark and difficult to see. So if something is "as plain as day," it means it's
obvious and easy to see.

#11 - it's about time = it should have happened already

This phrase is often used when complaining or criticizing. For example, if you're in a
restaurant, and you wait 45 minutes for a waiter to come to your table, when he finally
comes, you could say, "It's about time we got some service!" - you are complaining
that the service should have been provided earlier.

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#12 - having the time of your life = really enjoying an experience

This phrase can be used in the past, present, or future.

Past:
"Our kids had the time of their lives at Disneyland last year."

Use it in the present for an experience happening in the moment of speaking:

"I'm at the show right now. I'm having the time of my life!"

Future:
"You're going to have the time of your life in New Zealand - it's a wonderful country."

There are several other idioms with the same meaning, including "having a ball" and
"having a blast."

You've finished Lesson 5!

Take the quiz and try the speaking / writing exercises. There are no lessons over the
weekend, so you have two days off - log in for the next lesson on Monday.

Practice Quiz
Question 1

The city is building a new highway to help reduce traffic jams __________________.

A around the clock

B during rush hour
C in the nick of time

Question 2

A tattoo is something you'll have for life - you shouldn't make the decision to get one
__________________.

A as plain as day
B only a matter of time
C on the spur of the moment

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Question 3

Every time there's a snowstorm, my grandmother calls to ask if I'm OK -

____________________.

A light-years away
B like clockwork
C having the time of my life

Question 4

Sheila does terrible work. It's _____________ that she only got the job because her
father is the president of the company.

A as plain as day
B just a question of time
C about time

Question 5

He spends hours on Facebook commenting on every single photo and post - I think he
has too much _______________.

A clockwork
B spur of the moment
C time on his hands

Question 6

You arrived _______________ - we were about to leave without you.

A in the nick of time

B like clockwork
C about time

Question 7

I have a co-worker who's impossible to work with. _________________ when I

found out he's being transferred to another department!

A It was the time of my life

B It made my day
C It's only a matter of time

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Question 8

The government passed a law guaranteeing equal salaries for men and women.
________________ this country took some steps towards equality!

A It made my day
B It's about time
C It's light-years away

Question 9

Jerry was in critical condition after the accident; he needed _______________ care.

A around-the-clock
B clockwork
C rush hour

Question 10

The police gathered a lot of evidence from the crime scene. It's
__________________ before they find the culprit.

A a lot of time on their hands

B the time of their life
C only a matter of time

Answers
1) B

2) C

3) B

4) A

5) C

6) A

7) B

8) B

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9) A

10) C

Speaking / Writing Exercises

1) What is something in your life that happens like clockwork?

2) Have you ever made a spur of the moment decision?

3) Have you ever had a problem or emergency that was resolved in the nick of time?

4) What do you do when you have a lot of time on your hands?

5) When was the last time something made your day?

If you want correction / feedback, you can either e-mail me your writing at
help@[Link] or leave me a voice mail message:
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Image sources:
adamr
domdeen
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