TIME


Meaning of TIME in English

I. noun

COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES

a brief period/time

He lived there all his life, apart from a brief period during the war.

a crucial moment/time

At the crucial moment, he withdrew the support of the army.

a delivery date/time

The normal delivery time is 7 – 10 days after you place your order.

a departure time

Do you know your exact departure time?

a good deal of trouble/time/work etc

I went to a good deal of trouble to get this ticket.

a long time ago

She died a long time ago .

a painful time/period

The US is in for a painful period of adjustment.

a period of time

Over a period of time, this pressure can damage the fibres of the carpet.

a record number/level/time etc

Pollution in the lake has reached record levels.

a rough time

My children had a rough time because they were different from the rest.

a sad day/time

I’m really disappointed that this happened. It’s a sad day for football.

a sense of timing (= the ability to choose the right moment to do or say something )

He told the story with an exquisite sense of timing.

a short space of time

They met and married within a short space of time .

a short time

I’ve only been in Brisbane a short time .

a time bomb (= that is set to explode at a particular time )

The terrorists’ time bomb was planned to cause the maximum carnage.

a time limit

The time limit for making a claim is three months.

access time

ahead of time

Can you tell me ahead of time if you’re coming?

ahead of your/its time (= very advanced or new, and not understood or accepted )

Coleridge was in many ways far ahead of his time.

all the time (= very often or continuously )

They were quarrelling all the time .

ample time/evidence/opportunity

You’ll have ample time for questions later.

There is ample evidence that climate patterns are changing.

an exciting time

It was the most exciting time of my life.

appropriate time/place etc

I didn’t feel that this was an appropriate time to mention the subject of money.

arrive on time

He never arrives on time for meetings.

as time goes by

Things will get easier as time goes by .

a...short period of time

Germany achieved spectacular economic success in a relatively short period of time .

at any given time/moment

There are thought to be around 10,000 young homeless Scots in London at any given time.

at the appointed time (= at the time that had been arranged )

Everyone assembled in the hall at the appointed time .

At the present time

At the present time we have no explanation for this.

at the time of

I was at home at the time of the murder.

at this moment in time (= now )

At this moment in time we cannot proceed with the proposal.

at this time of night (= used when something happens very late at night, and you are surprised )

Why are you calling me at this time of night?

at this/that point in time formal (= used especially in official speeches, announcements etc )

It would be wrong to comment at this point in time.

bang on time

The train arrived bang on time .

bath time (= the time when someone, usually a child, has a bath )

Come on, Lucy, it's bath time.

be worth the time/effort/work

It was a great evening, and definitely worth all the hard work.

biblical times

The disease dates back to biblical times .

big time

Morris messed up big time.

big time

The 46-year-old author has finally hit the big time .

breakfast time

I don’t like talking at breakfast time.

British Summer Time

By the time...rolled around

By the time Wednesday rolled around , I still hadn’t finished.

called time out

With 15.7 seconds left, Washington State called time out .

can’t spare...time

Sorry, I can’t spare the time .

changing times (= a period of time when a lot is changing )

We live in changing times.

closing time

complete waste of time

This is a complete waste of time .

cooking time (= how long you cook something for )

Adjust the cooking time according to the size of the bird.

countless times

a famous film clip which has been shown countless times

day/date/time of purchase

This product should be consumed on the day of purchase.

daylight saving time

devote your time/energy/attention etc to sth

He devoted his energies to writing films.

double time

drinking-up time

elapsed time

The assignment must be completed within an overall elapsed time of one week.

election time

I’m sick of all those political pamphlets that come through my door at election time.

expend energy/effort/time/resources etc

People of different ages expend different amounts of energy.

Manufacturers have expended a lot of time and effort trying to improve computer security.

extended period of time

If you are going abroad for an extended period of time , you should consider renting your house out.

extra time

Beckham scored in extra time.

face time

Here we reward performance, not face time.

fallen on hard times (= did not have much money )

He had clearly fallen on hard times .

fill your time/the days etc (with sth)

I have no trouble filling my time.

for the umpteenth time

‘This is crazy,’ she told herself for the umpteenth time .

free time

Children these days have very little free time .

from/since time immemorial

Markets have been held here since time immemorial.

full time

As the ball went in, the referee blew his whistle for full time.

good for some time/a hundred miles etc

This old truck is good for another 100,000 miles.

good time

Is this a good time to talk to you?

Greenwich Mean Time

half the time

She seems to be asleep half the time .

halt the march of time

She was desperate to halt the march of time upon her face and figure.

happens all the time

This kind of thing happens all the time .

hardly the time/place/person etc (= a very unsuitable time, place, person etc )

This is hardly the place to discuss the matter.

harvest time

He hired extra workers to help at harvest time.

have a good time/day/weekend etc

Did you have a good vacation?

have a good/terrible etc time

Thanks for everything – we had a great time.

have a hard time doing sth (= be difficult for someone to do something )

You’ll have a hard time proving that.

I had a hard time persuading him to accept the offer.

have a hard time of it

Vegetarians still often have a hard time of it when it comes to eating out.

have a tough time (of it) (= face a lot of difficult problems )

The family has had a tough time of it these last few months.

have an easy time of it

You can have an easy time of it now that the kids have all left home.

hit the big time

The 46-year-old author has finally hit the big time .

if time permits (= if it finishes early enough )

I’ll see you after the meeting, if time permits .

in days/times/years etc gone by (= in the past )

These herbs would have been grown for medicinal purposes in days gone by.

in double-quick time

Lunch was produced in double-quick time .

in recent years/months/times etc

The situation has improved in recent years.

in times of hardship

In times of hardship, your family may be the only people you can go to for help.

in/during term time

Parents need permission to take their children on holiday during term time.

injury time

it’s payback time

I guess it’s payback time .

(it’s) time for bed

She sat and sewed until it was time for bed.

lead time

leisure time

They spend much of their leisure time with their grandchildren.

limited number/amount/time etc

There are only a limited number of tickets available.

local time

We’ll arrive in Boston at 4 o'clock local time.

long ago/a long time ago

He should have finished at university long ago, but he kept taking extra courses.

long period of time

a long period of time

long stretches of time

She doesn’t leave the house for long stretches of time .

lose all sense of time/direction/proportion etc

When he was writing, he lost all sense of time.

lose no time in doing sth (= do something immediately )

Murdock lost no time in taking out a patent for his invention.

lose time/2 days/3 hours etc

Vital minutes were lost because the ambulance took half an hour to arrive.

In 1978, 29 million days were lost in industrial action.

lost...track of time

I just lost all track of time .

many a time (= often )

I’ve sat here many a time and wondered what happened to her.

modern times

It was one of the greatest disasters of modern times.

most of the time/most days etc (= usually )

Most of the time it’s very quiet here.

Most evenings we just stay in and watch TV.

nap time

You can always tell when it's a baby's nap time because they start getting irritable.

nearer the time

They should send us more details nearer the time of the concert.

nice time?

Did you have a nice time?

Not for the first time

Not for the first time she wondered how he coped with so many children.

on short time

Most of the workers were put on short time .

opening time

We arrived at the pub just before opening time.

peak times

Extra buses run at peak times .

planned/timed/arranged to coincide

The show is timed to coincide with the launch of a new book.

prime time

a prime time entertainment programme

quality time

Do you spend enough quality time with your children?

race against time/the clock

The astronauts are racing against time to repair the spaceship.

running time

serve time/five years etc in jail (= spend time in jail )

He was finally released after serving 27 years in jail.

serving time (= is in prison )

Did you know that Les is serving time ?

set a date/time

No date has been set for the election.

some time ago (= a fairly long time ago )

They moved to a new house some time ago .

some time

It was some time before they managed to turn the alarm off.

space/time is at a premium

Foldaway furniture is the answer where space is at a premium.

spend time etc doing sth

Stacey spends all her free time painting.

spend time etc in/at sth

We’ll have to spend the night in a hotel.

His childhood was spent in Brazil.

spend time etc with sb

I want to spend more time with my family.

spend time/three months/six years etc in jail

Griffiths spent three days in jail after pushing a policeman.

stalling for time

He was just stalling for time .

stand the test of time (= stay popular )

His poetry will stand the test of time .

standard time

standby time

stoppage time (= extra time played in a sports match because of pauses )

We had five minutes of stoppage time at the end of the first half.

take time off (work/school)

I rang my boss and arranged to take some time off.

talk time

The battery allows approximately 135 minutes of talk time.

testing time

It’s been a testing time .

the boom years/times

the boom years of the late 1980s

the day/time/afternoon etc when

She remembered the day when Paula had first arrived.

the exact time/moment

At that exact moment, the phone rang.

the first thing/time/day etc

The first time I flew on a plane I was really nervous.

In the first year, all students take five courses.

He said the first thing that came into his head.

the first step towards achieving a peace agreement

There’s a meeting on the first Monday of every month.

the first time in history (= the first time something has ever happened )

For the first time in history, an American president resigned his office.

the flight time (= how long it takes to fly somewhere )

Our estimated flight time is three hours and fifteen minutes.

the last time (= the most recent occasion )

Things have changed since the last time you were here.

the longest time American English spoken (= a very long time )

It took me the longest time to figure out how to open the windows.

the mood of the time/moment (= the way people in general feel at a particular time )

The movie captured the mood of the moment.

(the) next time

Next time I go skiing, I’ll wear warmer clothes.

the ravages of time

a building that has survived the ravages of time

the time of the month

This is the busiest time of the month.

the time or the inclination

Teachers simply do not have the time or the inclination to investigate these matters.

the whole time (= the only thing we did was watch television )

We just sat around and watched TV the whole time .

there’s no time to lose (= do not waste time )

Come on, there’s no time to lose .

time and a half

We get time and a half for working on Sunday.

time and motion study

time bomb

Cutting down the rainforest is an environmental time bomb.

time capsule

time card

time clock

time constraints (= the limited amount of time that is available )

Exams are always done under strict time constraints.

time flies when you’re having fun

‘Is it midnight already?’ ‘Well, you know what they say – time flies when you’re having fun !’

time frame

There is a ten year time frame for the implementation of the new policies.

Time is tight

Time is tight , and she has another meeting to go to this afternoon.

time lag

a time lag

time lag

There is generally a two-year time lag in the information being made available.

time lapse

The usual time lapse between request and delivery is two days.

time limit

The time limit for applications is three weeks.

time machine

time off

Have you ever had to take time off for health reasons?

time out

In between jobs, Liz always took time out to return to her first love – travelling.

time sheet

time signal

time signature

time slot

A new comedy is scheduled for the 9 pm time slot .

time span

It’ll be difficult to hire that many new staff in such a short time span.

time span

It’s difficult to imagine a time span of a million years.

time switch

time travel

time warp

The house seemed to be stuck in a 19th-century time warp.

time zone

time

My time is precious, and I don't want to waste it.

time/reason/trouble etc enough old-fashioned

Come on – there’ll be time enough to chat later.

times in a row

I’ve beaten her three times in a row .

times table

Do you know the eleven times table?

Times were hard

Times were hard and they were forced to sell their house.

time/speed is of the essence (= it is very important to do something quickly )

Time...stood still

Time seems to have stood still in this lovely hotel.

time...taken up

The little time I had outside of school was taken up with work.

to pass the time (= to help us stop feeling bored )

We played cards to pass the time .

took...long time

It took a long time to get everything ready.

troubled times

These are troubled times for the coal industry.

trying time

The beginning of the show is often a trying time because of latecomers.

turn up late/early/on time etc

Steve turned up late, as usual.

turnaround times

We must reduce costs and shorten turnaround times .

twice/three times etc as many

The company now employs four times as many women as men.

went into extra time

The match went into extra time .

COLLOCATIONS FROM CORPUS

■ ADJECTIVE

full

That maximum should be as low as 1300 to 1500 patients per full time principal.

Khader works full time now at nation-building, sometimes logging 16 hours of work in a day.

Among men of working age, 78 percent were in employment with 63 percent working full time and 2 percent part time.

But among those with children under 18, 44 percent said they would choose to work part time rather than full time.

Everyone was working full time and doing campaign work on the side.

Many women work full time for the same reason many men do-they need the money for their families.

She is a clinical lecturer, University of Oxford and back at full time work as Consultant Dermatologist after maternity leave.

The center employs 24 people full time .

good

Finlayson thought for a good long time , while he stared at Callaghan's bright new buttons.

Economically, a good time to drain and refill a pool is after mid-April and before June.

One of these days Sam is going to come up against a good old time proper door.

Spring is a good time to start.

During practice the best time logged was twenty minutes.

You are simply there to have a good time or pursue a particularly delicious passion, when suddenly-it happens.

Her school is very good with time as well and she manages to get most of her work done.

I try to have a good time doing it.

hard

Mr Antonis is having a hard time getting his message of openness across to all the citizens of Antwerp.

He may have a hard time persuading lawmakers.

Interestingly, though, the bottom 10 includes many household names fallen on hard times .

The merry old woman had a hard time not laughing as they carried her into the coach.

Responding to hard times , the world's biggest advertising agency is reshuffling its management.

Two days before Easter and the week after Easter have been our hardest time since John came back home.

The 1930s were hard times , so I think they will be forgiven for this slight oversight.

Problems he had a hard time learning how to solve.

long

The scars of Bosnia will take a long time to heal.

Career mismatches usually take a long time to acknowledge and an even longer time to put behind you.

It was a long time after that before I regained my confidence.

I learned a long time ago that any success coaches have is directly attributed to the players.

It is a long time ago and what matters now is the future.

A century of confrontation and conflict can be a long time , but also an emphatic teacher.

I was thinking, for a long time after you left.

P would like to see the debt spread out over a longer length of time .

present

At the present time , 27 colleges are providing courses, with a record enrolment of 690 students.

Deferred imitation is the imitation of objects and events that have not been present for some time .

At the present time some of the old Airey houses are being demolished and rebuilt.

It is as comprehensive as is possible at the present time .

At the present time there is only the public house left.

There seems to be far more scope at the present time for the two generations to become friends.

Filtration At the present time there is considerable concern about concentrations of nitrogen compounds in water containing goldfish.

Comparative education Everyone is aware that the teaching profession is under stress at the present time .

short

Communications are short and publication is rapid, providing information on new avenues of research in the shortest possible time .

It lasted a very short time .

In a short time , his appointment has come to look like a poisoned chalice.

They sat there for a short time without saying anything.

She had achieved all that, in such a short time .

They will become tame enough after a relatively short period of time , to take food from your fingers.

Cut short that hanging time and the meat will be tough and flavourless, regardless of its pedigree and upbringing.

Improved performance will overcome these in a short time .

■ VERB

change

Of course, the rules of games do change over time .

How come the social worker had had to change the time ?

The older adult How relationships may have changed by this time !

The property went into foreclosure and changed hands several times .

It is recognised that observed statistical relationships may change over time due to changes in financial markets.

This revamping is geared toward helping workers adapt to changing times .

The mean labelling indices did not change significantly over time regardless of whether or not there were recurrences.

Before the light changed half a dozen times she disposed of the entire batch.

save

Now, no one could claim that a television set saves time .

Anderson sometimes took two of his students on a demonstration ride, to save time .

Order, order Always plan ahead to save time and unnecessary effort.

Airplanes, promoted to save travel time , increase it as people spend more time traveling than ever before.

You can also save time by deciding what is essential for your horse's comfort and what is dictated by tradition.

Perhaps he could save time by collecting the money now.

Understanding your address book's capabilities will save you time and tedium in the long run.

It seems we use more time and energy on the technology that was supposed to save us time and energy.

spend

Thus they spent much of their time debating the validity of various evaluation procedures as potential responses.

He has begun composing again, so he spends a lot of time in the drawing room.

They now spend a lot of time exchanging stories about the week's events.

He takes me places and spends time with me.

I spent my time , for as long as I stayed, cheering for the bulls.

Deborah preferred that her sons spend as little time with Tom as possible.

To this end, he spent much of his time personally constructing dams and pipelines.

Like many Westerners, he spent so much time on horseback when he was little that he grew up bowlegged.

take

Their acquisition takes time , problems arise, children become puzzled, and they have to consider possibilities and alternatives.

Every move requires a person to take the time and fight the hassle to register to vote.

It's a massive work and has obviously taken a great deal of your time and trouble.

You must take time off the clock and make it a short game.

Male speaker I've had to take time off work to get my ticket.

Food shopping takes time , a commodity of which most of us have precious little.

The vector graphics are well-executed, although it takes time for your eyes to adjust to what's going on.

But Wolfe admits that less than 1 percent of listeners take time to phone the station with opinions.

waste

Try to keep mealtimes positive and relaxed and don't waste time and energy forcing your child to eat.

What was I doing wasting my time like this?

You're wasting your time with me.

We were both convinced that it would be silly for me to waste time commuting to the suburbs.

Don't waste precious time stating the obvious.

I wasted time , and now doth time waste me.

But Rufus has held them close, and I can't tell him he's wasting his time .

Ringwald wastes no time wedging herself between McGaw and his coed girlfriend, Sarah Lassez.

PHRASES FROM OTHER ENTRIES

a bad time/moment etc

And it was still a bad time for the people in the middle.

And then uh, he was the homecoming king and oh, gosh, that was a bad time in my life.

Calls to assistant general manager Mike Port came at a bad time.

I thought it would be great down there, but I started having a bad time so I went back to Newcastle.

It was a bad time to have chosen for confrontation.

Strawberry had had a bad time.

The prolonged federal government shutdown could not have come at a worse time for businessman Herb Stein.

While I have no problem with this, the issue is that my friends are giving me a bad time about it.

a bumpy ride/time

Euro Disney had a bumpy ride as the market digested its results, sinking to a low of 813p down 35p.

It had been a bumpy ride, through the tail end of a thunderstorm.

It is therefore going to be, at best, a bumpy ride.

It was the same man who had jostled her repeatedly during a bumpy ride on the Lexington Avenue Express subway.

Since the programme was announced in 1998, like previous eradication campaigns, it has had a bumpy ride.

The plant had had a bumpy ride since Cellatex was sold off by the chemicals giant Rhne-Poulenc in 1991.

a devil of a time/job etc

But I've always found the Flying V and its derivatives a devil of a job to sit down with and play.

He was taking a devil of a time to change.

If he filled those in they'd have a devil of a job lifting them!

It took me a devil of a time to find it I can tell you.

a short space of time

I had to find out a lot of things about you in a short space of time.

In old age several major losses may occur within a short space of time.

In such a short space of time, he had plunged from the pinnacle of success to the depths of defeat.

Just how much things can change in a short space of time.

Still, he had been knocked out twice in a short space of time and would appreciate some rest.

That was an extraordinarily fine achievement in such a short space of time.

The problem is getting the material under control in order to reach ambitious learning goals in a short space of time.

The problem was more one of having to absorb a vast amount of information in a short space of time.

a stitch in time (saves nine)

a/one bit at a time

The text can be put on an overhead and revealed a bit at a time.

again and again/time and (time) again/over and over again

all in good time

"When are we going to open the presents?" "All in good time."

"When are you going to pay me?" "All in good time."

But don't fret, you shall have a puppy all in good time.

an opportune moment/time

For those who are waiting for the most opportune time to invest in a home, this is an excellent time to do that.

This seemed like an opportune moment to ask the government to mount a tree-planting program.

His work - and his mission - comes at an opportune time.

I waited, hoping for an opportune moment to discuss the possibility of my earning a little money.

Meanwhile, he would take up the matter with Archbishop Perier at an opportune time.

Porter bought Goat Island and Preserved it at an opportune moment.

The announcement Tuesday may have come at an opportune time.

To her now he was just a young fellow who happened to be in the house at an opportune time.

Would this be an opportune time to suggest a move to help reduce the fragmentation of the industry?

any old thing/place/time etc

He could play with Orlando any old time.

If you believed that, then you'd believe any old thing.

as good a time/place etc as any

at the best of times

Even at the best of times the roads are dangerous.

A salmon is slippery enough to handle at the best of times, but one of this size ....

But reason told her it was a precarious business at the best of times.

In fact Polanski, unconventional at the best of times, takes us to the limit - and beyond.

It was run on a shoestring at the best of times and Kelly was merely adding to his problems.

Listening is a difficult and complex skill at the best of times.

Memory was mischievously selective at the best of times Trivia stuck limpet-like and the useful filtered away.

Rising living standards and well-being are ambiguously related at the best of times, and not simply for ecological reasons.

The mind was a delicate mechanism that he disliked interfering with at the best of times.

at the same time

Are you supposed to press these two buttons at the same time?

Charlie and I arrived at the same time.

His wife had a baby at the same time as Elaine.

Karl and I were hired at the same time.

So you want to talk to them, identify that they are a candidate, and then give them the test all at the same time?

The media's criticism can be hard to take. But at the same time, we've got to keep doing our jobs.

We've launched an appeal, and at the same time we are sending out supplies, shelters, and blankets.

We both started talking at the same time.

You must have been at Harvard at the same time as I was.

And there was firing and screaming and hollering at the same time.

But at the same time most people find the expression of their individuality through work.

Each document is at the same time unique and existing in a thousand places.

I wanted to throw up, pass out, scream and cry at the same time.

Once we had five homicides on trial at the same time.

Remarkably, they can still swill and swagger at the same time, weaving toward an exit.

She felt an absolute wreck, yet at the same time she felt acutely self-aware.

So a television picture changed at the same time as you saw your ex-lover walking down the road opposite.

be (caught/locked/stuck) in a time warp

be a long time/10 years etc in the making

be a waste of time/money/effort etc

An unrealistically low offer is a waste of time.

As I said, many of these divisions of investigation will be a waste of time.

But it was a waste of time.

He may protest to the auditor that this is a waste of time.

I feel annoyed, it is a waste of time.

Marx thought that scholarly contemplation was a waste of time.

Which was a waste of time really, because all I wanted to do was join Granpa on the barrow.

While some thought that they did a good job, a substantial minority felt that they were a waste of time.

be having a thin time (of it)

be in the right place at the right time

"You did well to get that contract.'' "Not really, I just happened to be in the right place at the right time.''

An off--duty cop happened to be in the right place at the right time to stop a robbery.

Being a successful news photographer is all about being in the right place at the right time.

He could be in the right place at the right time when top jobs come up for grabs next summer.

He was in the right place at the right time and hustling as he usually does.

If we do not provide sufficient places, the necessary skill will not be in the right place at the right time.

It was in the right place at the right time.

They just happened to be in the right place at the right time.

You have to be in the right place at the right time with the right partner and the right judges.

be in the wrong place at the wrong time

Kambule claims he was just a bystander when the shooting occurred, a kid in the wrong place at the wrong time.

The driver was drunk and hit her as she was crossing the road. She was just in the wrong place at the wrong time.

be living on borrowed time

As long as Moira was around, Tamar was living on borrowed time.

But now, as long as they existed, he was living on borrowed time.

be marking time

Parkinson's Disease seems to be marking time at the moment.

be old before your time

be pressed for time/cash etc

be pressed for time/money etc

be pushed for time/money etc

beat time

a conductor beating time with his baton

At one stage, he joined her, pacing with her, beating time with one hand.

In employment systems, after all, people are not mustered to play together as their manager beats time.

It is not true that elsewhere they obey it without beating it, since one beats time wherever choruses are sung.

Significantly, he follows the use of conducteur by recalling more recent occasions on which he beat time.

The lord began to tap his foot and beat time with his hand against his thigh.

better luck next time

Ah well, better luck next time, Andy.

And if you didn't win, better luck next time.

Back to the West Indies with it, and better luck next time.

bide your time

Investors are biding their time, trying to figure out what the next successful stock will be.

Bide your time, Lissa, she told herself, bide your time.

Be patient, tolerant and bide your time.

He has bided his time, and now he feels he has arrived.

Keenan certainly bided his time before coming forward to lodge his complaints.

Or wiser than we are; silent and strong, biding their time?

Some say they're biding their time before becoming more aggressive again.

The nurse was biding her time till another idea came to her that would put her on top again.

Where does it bide its time?

buy (sb) time

But he bought himself family time and independence.

Jack tipped him five and got behind the wheel of his Lincoln, which he was buying on time.

Meanwhile, their opponents are busy taking out newspaper advertisements, buying air time and working the telephones.

Obviously, you only score the points of any player you buy from the time you get him.

The advantages are that it can be bought at any time, changed without penalty and fully refunded.

The diversion bought him some time.

There would be water from the sink to quench his thirst, and that would buy him some time.

Why did they buy at that time?

call time (on sb/sth)

Besides the unlimited license to overcharge, the prosecutor has a crowbar called time to hold over your head.

It is tempting, then, to call time on G8 summits.

Read in studio Britain's most exclusive clockmaker is about to call time on his business - because of the recession.

Survey calls time on fears Government concerns that the 1988 Licensing Act would encourage greater consumption of alcohol have been proved unfounded.

This is called time-dating.

Washington State called time out, then had three chances from inside 10 feet but could not convert.

every time

Every time it rains we get a flood in the bedroom.

Every time she sees me she says looks away.

Every time we talk about money, we get into an argument.

Don't ask me for money every time you want to buy a drink.

It seems like every time I play basketball, I get hurt.

My neck hurts every time I turn my head.

Fernandez, a Miami native, was not packing the place every time he pitched.

He would remember every time he had been humiliated at school or home, exaggerating the feeling and circumstances involved.

I don't want to have to take out a new mortgage every time I move up the ladder.

I shudder with embarrassment every time I think about it.

It just works so perfectly every time they start laughing at him.

That latency will get you every time.

The price looks higher every time you speak, Captain Owen.

Tired of getting leaves and debris caught in your roof gutters and clogging them every time it rains?

every time sb turns around

fall on hard/bad times

At 21 she is set for stardom, but she still finds time for people who have fallen on hard times.

Even by political standards, Gingrich very quickly fell on hard times.

I assumed that if a person fell on hard times some one else in the wider family would rescue them.

Interestingly, though, the bottom 10 includes many household names fallen on hard times.

The Cambridge University Automobile Club had clearly fallen on hard times, too.

The model cities program fell on hard times soon after it began.

With the outbreak of war, the shop fell on harder times.

Worse, because of Jack the father has fallen on hard times and must meet all kinds of debts.

fill in time

Evening Today I had four baths to fill in time and I invented you.

Recreational reading can be defined as a pastime by which the reader fills in time pleasantly.

Tip-top young fellow, filling in time before Cambridge.

fix a time/date/place etc

Before fixing a date do some research.

Employers generally fix a time limit on the payment of these allowances.

He added that while Yeltsin is breathing somewhat easier than he had been, there is no fixed date for his discharge.

She said she loved him, they said they loved him, but somehow nobody would fix a date for a marriage.

The court will either grant the request on written application or fix a date for hearing.

The court will then fix a date for consideration and serve notice on the applicant.

The court will usually fix a time limit for service when making directions and this must be complied with.

They fixed a date for the weekend and he kissed her goodbye.

flexible/short-time etc working

An outside problem can sometimes be helped by, say, more flexible working hours and so be resolved at management level.

Earnings might vary because of piece-work, overtime or short-time working .

Flexible Hours Question: Has consideration been given to the introduction of flexible working hours?

Meanwhile, solicitors were last week urged to consider flexible working for staff in line with the government's family friendly policies.

Recruitment procedures focus on individual skills and potential for flexible working .

Through grants to local authorities, we are financing schemes to introduce more flexible working practices - such as job sharing.

Vauxhall bosses admit that the threat of short-time working at Ellesmere Port still remains a possibility.

Wage freezes have been brought in across most of the company and some short-time working introduced.

for old times' sake

A slight drizzle appeared, just for old times' sake.

I just thought it might have been kinda fun, you know, for old times' sake.

Or even, for old times' sake, one of the left splinter parties.

Then one day, just for old times' sake, I paid a visit to Winston Street.

This was really just for old times' sake, just for fun.

for the first time

At present, Akeakamai can understand sentences of up to five words, and can understand commands even when hearing them for the first time.

By hearing them, we recognise them and we also, perhaps for the first time, see them as strange.

It rained for the first time since we arrived in Sian today.

Remember, these twelve artistic masterpieces are now on collectors' plates for the first time.

She leans forward-and, for the first time since the first time-she kisses him.

That day, the skies had clouded and, for the first time, the weather was cooler.

The Federal Communications Commission began to regulate rates for the first time.

from that/this day/time/moment etc forward

It was resolved that from this day forward they shall be called by the name of the Veterinary College, London.

gain time

"Well, let me see," he said slowly, trying to gain time before answering the question.

Dexter wondered if his vagueness was due to the shock of his wife's murder or an attempt to gain time.

I accepted a chair and asked for a glass of water instead of the brandy, trying to gain time.

give me sth (any day/time)

I don't like those fancy French desserts. Give me a bowl of chocolate ice cream any day.

And so this rural scene to which we had escaped gave me a frame of reference to understand my parents.

Half an hour later, I was in a forest eating the bread they had given me.

I gave her your number and told her to give me five minutes to warn you first.

Just give me the one with 80 percent meat, 20 percent filler.

Minna pulled away and gave me a look that was part triumph and part astonishment.

Thelma, haggard and overly lipsticked, gave me a refill.

They'd be sorry for me, they'd give me whisky and aspirins and send me to a psychiatrist.

This gave me more information about the teams than any of the other committee members had.

give sb a hard time

My mother gave me a really hard time about Freddy. She couldn't stand him.

She left the company because her boss was giving her a really hard time.

Stop giving me such a hard time. I'm doing my best.

When I first came here everyone gave me a really hard time, because I was the first woman to run a department.

Her boss, Detective Hineline, is always giving her a hard time and she never gets really mad at him.

If you wonder why people give you a hard time, it's because you write shit like this.

Maybe Modigliani gave them a hard time, I don't know.

The crew gave him a hard time, and even the cast was cautious about him.

The laughter had stopped a while ago and, ever since, Lydia's imagination had been giving her a hard time.

Tom gave him a hard time.

Watson had been given a hard time from the Wednesday crowd before those goals but is now hoping the tide has turned.

Yet Wakefield gave them a hard time throughout.

give sb time/a few weeks/all day etc

have a hard time

A lot of people are having a hard time making ends meet.

Anyone calling the 202 area code this weekend had a hard time getting through.

I'm still having a hard time getting the company to pay me.

I tried to find the house but I had such a hard time, I decided to give up.

Premature babies have a hard time even under the best of circumstances.

By contrast, books such as Randi's have a hard time finding enthusiastic editors.

Cynics will have a hard time taking this seriously.

Even the birds have a hard time of it, and you and Mr..

He may have a hard time persuading lawmakers.

I have a hard time eating meals when I should.

The innovation of Private Eye ensured that deference, if not quite dead, would henceforth have a hard time.

We have a hard time pulling off one conference.

Your boy have a hard time getting it across?

have a whale of a time

have an easy time (of it)

She hasn't had an easy time of it since Jack left.

Hu did not have an easy time of it at first.

hit the big time

But his interest in the farm grew, even after he hit the big time.

I know he talked to her about what it was like before Jett hit the big time.

Sandier hits the big time as the loveable three killer sharks to increase their brain mass.

Still, even session men can hit the big time.

in (the) course of time

A literal offering of bread and wine has in the course of time been included in the eucharistic ritual.

As new species in the course of time are formed through natural selection, others will become rarer.

It has also been clearly established that in the course of time evaluation of particular variants can change or even be reversed.

Physical death follows in the course of time.

The critical question was: Why has life undergone this progressive development in the course of time?

in former times/years

No rocks, to our knowledge, are untouched by life in former times.

in good time (for sth/to do sth)

in less than no time

in no time

And in no time at all, they see their dreams come true.

He got back to normal in no time.

He made Tracy in no time.

If Sien went back with them, she would be driven back to her old life in no time.

If you're telling the truth, Peter, you can be back here in no time.

The thick pungent smoke from the spliff filled the car in no time as Firebug took long leisurely tokes and sat back.

We were off the tanks in no time.

Your house will be sold in no time at all!

in record time

During these years she made her journeys in record time.

Everyone in Knockglen heard about it in record time, but what they heard bore little relation to the facts.

No question, and he did it in record time.

She shifts into high gear and gets out of the house, down the hill and over to Starbucks in record time.

The human species has probably not undergone much genetic change in recorded time.

We got home in record time.

We had finished the drive back down to the highway from Can-yon de Chelly in record time.

We pulled out all the stops and gave the company a response in record time.

in the fullness of time

I'm sure he'll tell us everything in the fullness of time.

And in the fullness of Time the seed S grew into a beautiful Tree, which is what T stands for.

Doubtless their minds are uncluttered by the thought that in the fullness of time they themselves will appear on the list.

The rules allowed them this 2:1 majority but in the fullness of time it would become unacceptable to members.

in the nick of time

Radio contact was established in the nick of time and we managed to transmit a message to the ship.

She escaped from her smoke-filled home just in the nick of time.

The money came through just in the nick of time.

But all was well in the nick of time.

But better in the nick of time than not at all.

Enter Taligent with its promised solution for rapid applications prototyping and customization in a hardware-independent environment just in the nick of time.

He did, however, in the nick of time, and I was issued uneventfully into the governance of Calvin Coolidge.

It finally happened -- and just in the nick of time.

Patience, she counselled herself, and turned the chicken in the nick of time.

Those doughty editorial professionals at the Star have once again helped us avert a foolish mistake just in the nick of time!

With repairs completed in the nick of time she sailed for the operation with a depleted crew.

in your own good time

He would do what had to be done in his own good time; she must leave him to it.

Once the rabbit is dead it can be retrieved in your own good time.

The problems are the normal ones of adolescence and will pass in their own good time.

Tina had felt let down, but knowing Bobby, he would tell them in his own good time what had happened.

Whatever Jack wanted to do or say he would do or say in his own good time.

in your own sweet way/time

Did he think he was so important that he could finish the cottage in his own sweet time?

I'd rather carry on in my own sweet way, and I'd rather be in Stockholm.

I probably love him, in my own sweet way.

You can just sit back and read the responses and decide the winner in your own sweet time.

it is high time sb did sth

It's high time we pulled together and got the job done right.

it's only/just a matter of time

It was only a matter of time before Lynn found out Phil's secret.

You'll learn how to do it eventually -- it's only a matter of time.

Your father is dying and there's nothing we can do. I'm afraid it's just a matter of time.

But they believe it's only a matter of time before the disease crosses the county boundary.

If he hasn't already killed somebody, then it's only a matter of time.

They think it's only a matter of time before he breaks.

it's time I was moving/we ought to get moving etc

kill time/an hour etc

let the good times roll

long time no see

Uh, and says, uh, long time no see,.

lost in the mists of time

And, for some reason lost in the mists of time, we need to do that.

What actually transpired upon the outbreak of the Civil War is lost in the mists of time it would seem.

make up for lost time

He's girl crazy! He went to a boys' school and now he's making up for lost time.

The bus driver was speeding to make up for lost time.

After a century or so of political apathy, Hong Kong's young people were making up for lost time.

He was eager to make up for lost time and published prolifically.

Meanwhile Keith and Mae are settling down to married life, making up for lost time.

None the less, we immediately started our other meetings to make up for lost time.

Once I settled into my new life, I did everything I could to make up for lost time.

Time to make up for lost time.

many's the time/day etc (that/when)

mark time

Investors are marking time, waiting for evidence that the market is growing.

Amusing, but Ackroyd marking time.

Gaultier has remained true to himself, and must therefore mark time until fashion comes back around to his idiosyncratic viewpoint.

The clock apparently marks time by carrying out a predictable and elaborate process of synthesizing and destroying molecules within living cells.

The deep tones of the cannon marked time to the incessant roll of musketry...

The hind legs have to mark time while the forelegs cross over, making the outer ring of a wheel.

We marked time at Po Ti Island for a day hoping that the north-east head wind would change in our favour.

We have to lie still for five minutes, while the teachers whisper to each other as they mark time.

Yet computer cuts in the services sector mean that, for now, it can do little more than mark time.

me time

money/time etc to spare

All those below were too busy and had not time to spare to comfort him with a few minutes' companionship.

But with time to spare , we rummaged around.

I do not have the time to spare to meander through mountains.

They maintain the government will have money to spare by 2011.

Unfortunately, I haven't very much time to spare .

We don't smoke or drink, so we have some money to spare .

With time to spare , the Age Bulgers dominated all levels of politics and made sure their special interests came first.

money/time/space etc to play with

He had time for his garden, time to talk to his Stratford friends, time to play with his granddaughter Elizabeth.

Lennie knows he hasn't any time to play with if Boro are to stay in the big time.

Then it's time to play with the topper dinghies!

move with the times

You move with the times, or you fail, in this business.

But even Rolls-Royce must be seen to be moving with the times.

Hugh Puddephat, she discovered, had certainly moved with the times.

Male speaker We've got to move with the times.

Mrs Bottomley told them the health service had to move with the times and some closures were inevitable.

Nowadays, he said, prisons had moved with the times like everything else.

Still, I suppose we must move with the times.

They haven't moved with the times, and nor, perhaps, could they.

nine times out of ten

Nine times out of ten I just skip breakfast and have a coffee.

Nine times out of ten we can beat them, but last night they creamed us.

Nine times out of ten, jobs that become vacant are filled from inside the organization.

now's the time (for sb) to do sth

once upon a time

Once upon a time children did what they were told.

After all, it is once upon a time.

However, once upon a time the mathematician was a child too.

I'd have done anything for you once upon a time.

One could spend a lifetime learning a small range of mountains, and once upon a time people did.

Perhaps objects like these had been fashionable in churches once upon a time, but no longer, hence the attic.

She might never have ironed shirts, but she too had once upon a time brought Jacob little surprises, little presents.

There was, once upon a time, another book from which this kind of scientific certainty was derived.

pass the time of day (with sb)

play for time

Stop playing for time and give us an answer.

The rebel's current ceasefire doesn't amount to much more than playing for time.

The U.S. strategy over the past weeks has been to play for time.

Edmond Herv is a close friend and he tells me that sometimes you have to play for time to solve a problem.

He decides, literally, to play for time and makes a debut at Nero's banquet that evening.

Henry's only plan at this moment was to play for time.

Mr Kasyanov seems now to be playing for time, hoping to get through January without ferocious clashes with creditors.

The confused evidence suggests they are acting on their own initiative, not on directives from East Berlin to play for time.

The government is playing for time.

The governments, nervous, are playing for time.

Truman played for time by appointing a brains trust of three to advise him.

price-wise/time-wise etc

quite a/some time

For quite some time he lived with the expectation that he was going to die.

He found out we had been pulling the wool over his eyes for quite some time.

If the skin and gills are kept moist they can remain out of water for quite some time.

In other words, it Adll be quite some time before the kinks are worked out of the system.

It must have taken quite a time.

It was brought to her before I really got to know her, but it was with her for quite some time.

Judging the competition has taken quite some time and was no easy matter.

Uh I have no for quite some time.

run late/early/on time

Don called - he's running late, so we'll start without him.

He makes our trains run on time.

In other words: - Keep the job running on time.

Maybe she could get the London Underground to run on time?

Passenger trains never ran on time now.

Station refurbishment seems a mere insult when the trains don't run on time.

sb puts his pants on one leg at a time

short time

Employees may try working at the new location for a short time and then decide not to continue.

In this way a carcass can draw vultures from far away in a short time.

Just a short time ago the forest was impenetrable ... and safe.

Now that he's on short time he's doing more round the house.

One year is a very short time.

Police arrested a male juvenile a short time later.

The forest has reclaimed the fields even in this short time since I was last there.

sign of the times

At the time, I took this decay merely as a sign of the times.

But in a sign of the times, Army Chief Gen.

But Reagan read the signs of the times.

Is this a sign of the times?

It was a sign of the times. 1956.

That we owe this to the vast reach of cyberspace is indeed a sign of the times.

This is a real sign of the times and completely eclipses global fears about ecology or famine.

sort of price/time/speed etc

But it was the key sort of time, wasn't it?

Got to call opposite number in Coventry office about outstanding claim ... 16.22 Meeting time not like any other sort of time.

It was the sort of price any commander had to pay for hoped-for victory.

It was the sort of time and place where poems flourished along with the vegetation.

Most of us do not have that sort of time to spare.

Of course, a tactless dealer irritated him even more at this sort of time.

Of course, there were other sorts of times too.

spare time/moment/hour etc

Darby was a cheerfully relaxed young man who compiled cryptic crosswords for a monthly magazine in his spare time.

In her spare time she makes and decorates cakes of different shapes and sizes for all occasions.

In his spare time, Grigsby gave legal advice to the Black Panthers.

In many schools, teachers are spending their spare time fund-raising and making equipment to support the new Curriculum.

Q: What do you do in your spare time?

Q: When you have spare time, what do you do?

We had some spare time, so we started messing around with samples and sequencers and stuff.

take time out (to do sth)

A: I am going to take time out and go to college.

Actress Beverley D'Angelo is taking time out from her screen career to perform a risqué country set across the Bible belt.

At the product's launch, the company took time out to damn 3Com's boundary routing scheme with faint praise.

Despite his increasingly hectic schedule, Haden graciously took time out to be interviewed about the Quartet and the Jazzfest tour.

I shall take time out to call at Aurae Phiala.

If you actually worked for Jobs, he took time out from preaching the Mac gospel to meddle in your life.

Nurses in Training Questions: Do nurse teachers take time out to discuss their teaching methods with their peers?

The 73-year-old Republican standard-bearer took time out of his busy campaign schedule last week to search for those roots.

tell the time

After all, you have been telling the time for years, haven't you?

Because it is inexpensive, burning incense-sticks to tell the time continued to be used down to the present century.

But her hand was shaking so much that she could not tell the time.

Functional rather than ostentatious, for telling the time rather than for telling others who he was.

So your watch should tell the time accurately.

The clock did a lot more besides telling the time of day.

These star charts were provided to enable the deceased to tell the time of night or the date in the calendar.

Time Be able to tell the time and understand times expressed in terms of 12- and 24-hour clocks.

the big time

He played in clubs for years before making it to the big time.

the dawn of civilization/time etc

Once, long ago, at the dawn of time, he had persuaded man to disobey in a garden.

Since the dawn of time, roughly a hundred billion human beings have walked the planet Earth.

the march of time/history/progress etc

At present these are banned, as are crossbows, but will these eventually be admitted with the march of progress?

But in 1874-not ten years earlier or later-city and nation endured a painful pause in the march of progress.

Like Franco, Arrese was trying to hold back the march of history.

New discoveries have opened up all kinds of possibilities for holding back the march of time.

They succeeded because they brought hope to the losers whom the march of progress had left behind.

This little community is still in existence, largely untouched by the march of time.

the passage of time

If anything, fashion is moving closer to the context of his style with the passage of time.

Increased and improved communication plus the passage of time and more frequent face-to-face contacts should greatly improve understanding.

Quite simply, the passage of time and new techniques had taken their toll.

She knew she ought to report the death, but felt she could not because of the passage of time.

They are lonely, sitting in quiet living rooms with clocks that loudly announce the passage of time with each tick.

This balance changes with the passage of time as experience fashions these blueprints into more serviceable guides.

Under these circumstances the future details of a transaction can be settled only when uncertainty is resolved by the passage of time.

We were oblivious of the passage of time.

the passing of time/the years

The passing of the years has not weakened his artistic ability.

the sands of time

the time is ripe (for sth)

Amato thinks the time is ripe for educational reform.

The time was ripe for change in the company.

As with acupuncture, this is a difficult field for research, but the time is ripe for active scientific investigations.

So the time is ripe for a major overhaul of the sixth form.

the wheel of fortune/life/time etc

And, as the wheel of fortune continues on its inexorable cycle, values are likely to start going up again soon.

Then the wheel of fortune turned.

third time lucky

Barcelona, having lost the 1961 and 1986 finals, hope it will be third time lucky.

Everyone is praying that this time it will be third time lucky.

Maybe he's out there thinking: third time lucky.

Odds-on favourite last time at Haydock, he was narrowly beaten into third place, but tomorrow should prove third time lucky.

three years/five times etc running

time flies

"Hasn't the afternoon passed quickly?" said Carol. "Time flies when you're having fun."

Is it 5:30 already? Boy, time sure flies !

Is Richard eight already? Doesn't time fly ?

Dearest Jeanette How time flies especially when one is meant to be writing lots of letters.

There are so many diversions here that the time flies by on wings.

Think how time flies in periods of intense, purposeful activity.

time hangs/lies heavy on your hands

time is moving on

time marches on

All of us face identity crises as time marches on.

time/money/energy waster

Although it is easy to dismiss meetings as time wasters , the above indicates why you should take them seriously.

Cons: Writing with pen and paper is perhaps one of the greatest time wasters in the business world.

FoE pinpointed fridges, light bulbs, washing machines, dishwashers, televisions, and tumble driers as energy wasters .

Good experience and dedication, no time wasters .

Romantic as it may be, a fireplace without glass doors is a real energy waster .

times table

And I don't really know my Two Times Table .

For Peter, puzzles are great fun; he likes to learn such details as state capitals and the times tables .

I expect to recycle our work on the times tables .

She knew her times tables and her Catechism.

to the end of time

He could be followed to the end of time, and still nothing would happen.

twice over/three times over etc

unearthly hour/time etc

waste no time (in) doing sth

Peter wasted no time finding himself another girlfriend.

Additionally, less electricity is used and the chef wastes no time waiting for the correct temperature to be reached.

Emil, the crew and I wasted no time watching.

If it demurred, the Corps might waste no time in trying to build it instead.

Lee wasted no time entering Maryland, the men being in high spirits as the bold move was made.

Ringwald wastes no time wedging herself between McGaw and his coed girlfriend, Sarah Lassez.

Shouting to Wemyss to cope with this situation, Douglas wasted no time.

The man's wife had wasted no time going through his closets picking up worn and odd pairs.

The Right was wasting no time, meanwhile.

watch the time

EXAMPLES FROM OTHER ENTRIES

After a time , I began to feel more relaxed.

All systems settle down after a time .

At one time , Hakami was ranked 32nd in the world.

Bill had lost his job, and it was a difficult time for him.

Check with the museum for opening times at www.musart.co.

Could I have the times of the trains to Birmingham please?

Do you remember that time Tim got really drunk at Sarah's party?

Do you remember the time when Dad lost the car keys?

Drugs can alter our understanding of time and space.

Entrance fees to the exhibit have been reduced for the time being.

Every time I met her, she asked me about the children.

For a time , the 1,600 seater hall was home to a Saturday night film show, before being converted to a night club.

Give us a call next time you're in town.

He chatted to us for a time , then left.

He played for Barcelona for four years, and during that time they won two major competitions.

How much time do you think they'll need to paint the house?

I've got to get this to the video store by closing time .

I've heard Jessie play a number of times, and I think he's great.

I didn't really enjoy my time in Boston.

I really enjoyed my time at university.

II. verb

COLLOCATIONS FROM CORPUS

■ NOUN

arrival

Success hinged on timing their arrival just as the last fat slice of sun slid below the horizon.

He had timed their arrival for early evening with few people around.

He had timed his arrival for shortly after midday in the hope that lunchtime would find the staff free of commitments.

We had timed our arrival well as the local Highland Games took place the next day.

In fact, I saw from the station clock that I had timed my arrival just about perfectly.

departure

Dickey would not be the first coach to time his departure with the graduation of a key group of seniors.

dozen

I was in their house there a dozen times .

He turned his head nervously half a dozen times to see if anybody was watching.

He pounded down in me a few dozen times , quickly.

And yet those who have seen it a dozen times will come out and watch a dozen more.

In the next decade, the newspaper was bombed more than a dozen times .

I pummel myself with my fists, hard, a dozen times .

We Elwoods must have seen him a dozen times .

PHRASES FROM OTHER ENTRIES

a bad time/moment etc

And it was still a bad time for the people in the middle.

And then uh, he was the homecoming king and oh, gosh, that was a bad time in my life.

Calls to assistant general manager Mike Port came at a bad time.

I thought it would be great down there, but I started having a bad time so I went back to Newcastle.

It was a bad time to have chosen for confrontation.

Strawberry had had a bad time.

The prolonged federal government shutdown could not have come at a worse time for businessman Herb Stein.

While I have no problem with this, the issue is that my friends are giving me a bad time about it.

a bumpy ride/time

Euro Disney had a bumpy ride as the market digested its results, sinking to a low of 813p down 35p.

It had been a bumpy ride, through the tail end of a thunderstorm.

It is therefore going to be, at best, a bumpy ride.

It was the same man who had jostled her repeatedly during a bumpy ride on the Lexington Avenue Express subway.

Since the programme was announced in 1998, like previous eradication campaigns, it has had a bumpy ride.

The plant had had a bumpy ride since Cellatex was sold off by the chemicals giant Rhne-Poulenc in 1991.

a devil of a time/job etc

But I've always found the Flying V and its derivatives a devil of a job to sit down with and play.

He was taking a devil of a time to change.

If he filled those in they'd have a devil of a job lifting them!

It took me a devil of a time to find it I can tell you.

a short space of time

I had to find out a lot of things about you in a short space of time.

In old age several major losses may occur within a short space of time.

In such a short space of time, he had plunged from the pinnacle of success to the depths of defeat.

Just how much things can change in a short space of time.

Still, he had been knocked out twice in a short space of time and would appreciate some rest.

That was an extraordinarily fine achievement in such a short space of time.

The problem is getting the material under control in order to reach ambitious learning goals in a short space of time.

The problem was more one of having to absorb a vast amount of information in a short space of time.

a stitch in time (saves nine)

a/one bit at a time

The text can be put on an overhead and revealed a bit at a time.

again and again/time and (time) again/over and over again

all in good time

"When are we going to open the presents?" "All in good time."

"When are you going to pay me?" "All in good time."

But don't fret, you shall have a puppy all in good time.

an opportune moment/time

For those who are waiting for the most opportune time to invest in a home, this is an excellent time to do that.

This seemed like an opportune moment to ask the government to mount a tree-planting program.

His work - and his mission - comes at an opportune time.

I waited, hoping for an opportune moment to discuss the possibility of my earning a little money.

Meanwhile, he would take up the matter with Archbishop Perier at an opportune time.

Porter bought Goat Island and Preserved it at an opportune moment.

The announcement Tuesday may have come at an opportune time.

To her now he was just a young fellow who happened to be in the house at an opportune time.

Would this be an opportune time to suggest a move to help reduce the fragmentation of the industry?

any old thing/place/time etc

He could play with Orlando any old time.

If you believed that, then you'd believe any old thing.

as good a time/place etc as any

at the best of times

Even at the best of times the roads are dangerous.

A salmon is slippery enough to handle at the best of times, but one of this size ....

But reason told her it was a precarious business at the best of times.

In fact Polanski, unconventional at the best of times, takes us to the limit - and beyond.

It was run on a shoestring at the best of times and Kelly was merely adding to his problems.

Listening is a difficult and complex skill at the best of times.

Memory was mischievously selective at the best of times Trivia stuck limpet-like and the useful filtered away.

Rising living standards and well-being are ambiguously related at the best of times, and not simply for ecological reasons.

The mind was a delicate mechanism that he disliked interfering with at the best of times.

at the same time

Are you supposed to press these two buttons at the same time?

Charlie and I arrived at the same time.

His wife had a baby at the same time as Elaine.

Karl and I were hired at the same time.

So you want to talk to them, identify that they are a candidate, and then give them the test all at the same time?

The media's criticism can be hard to take. But at the same time, we've got to keep doing our jobs.

We've launched an appeal, and at the same time we are sending out supplies, shelters, and blankets.

We both started talking at the same time.

You must have been at Harvard at the same time as I was.

And there was firing and screaming and hollering at the same time.

But at the same time most people find the expression of their individuality through work.

Each document is at the same time unique and existing in a thousand places.

I wanted to throw up, pass out, scream and cry at the same time.

Once we had five homicides on trial at the same time.

Remarkably, they can still swill and swagger at the same time, weaving toward an exit.

She felt an absolute wreck, yet at the same time she felt acutely self-aware.

So a television picture changed at the same time as you saw your ex-lover walking down the road opposite.

be (caught/locked/stuck) in a time warp

be a long time/10 years etc in the making

be a waste of time/money/effort etc

An unrealistically low offer is a waste of time.

As I said, many of these divisions of investigation will be a waste of time.

But it was a waste of time.

He may protest to the auditor that this is a waste of time.

I feel annoyed, it is a waste of time.

Marx thought that scholarly contemplation was a waste of time.

Which was a waste of time really, because all I wanted to do was join Granpa on the barrow.

While some thought that they did a good job, a substantial minority felt that they were a waste of time.

be having a thin time (of it)

be in the right place at the right time

"You did well to get that contract.'' "Not really, I just happened to be in the right place at the right time.''

An off--duty cop happened to be in the right place at the right time to stop a robbery.

Being a successful news photographer is all about being in the right place at the right time.

He could be in the right place at the right time when top jobs come up for grabs next summer.

He was in the right place at the right time and hustling as he usually does.

If we do not provide sufficient places, the necessary skill will not be in the right place at the right time.

It was in the right place at the right time.

They just happened to be in the right place at the right time.

You have to be in the right place at the right time with the right partner and the right judges.

be in the wrong place at the wrong time

Kambule claims he was just a bystander when the shooting occurred, a kid in the wrong place at the wrong time.

The driver was drunk and hit her as she was crossing the road. She was just in the wrong place at the wrong time.

be old before your time

be pressed for time/money etc

be pushed for time/money etc

better luck next time

Ah well, better luck next time, Andy.

And if you didn't win, better luck next time.

Back to the West Indies with it, and better luck next time.

every time

Every time it rains we get a flood in the bedroom.

Every time she sees me she says looks away.

Every time we talk about money, we get into an argument.

Don't ask me for money every time you want to buy a drink.

It seems like every time I play basketball, I get hurt.

My neck hurts every time I turn my head.

Fernandez, a Miami native, was not packing the place every time he pitched.

He would remember every time he had been humiliated at school or home, exaggerating the feeling and circumstances involved.

I don't want to have to take out a new mortgage every time I move up the ladder.

I shudder with embarrassment every time I think about it.

It just works so perfectly every time they start laughing at him.

That latency will get you every time.

The price looks higher every time you speak, Captain Owen.

Tired of getting leaves and debris caught in your roof gutters and clogging them every time it rains?

flexible/short-time etc working

An outside problem can sometimes be helped by, say, more flexible working hours and so be resolved at management level.

Earnings might vary because of piece-work, overtime or short-time working .

Flexible Hours Question: Has consideration been given to the introduction of flexible working hours?

Meanwhile, solicitors were last week urged to consider flexible working for staff in line with the government's family friendly policies.

Recruitment procedures focus on individual skills and potential for flexible working .

Through grants to local authorities, we are financing schemes to introduce more flexible working practices - such as job sharing.

Vauxhall bosses admit that the threat of short-time working at Ellesmere Port still remains a possibility.

Wage freezes have been brought in across most of the company and some short-time working introduced.

for old times' sake

A slight drizzle appeared, just for old times' sake.

I just thought it might have been kinda fun, you know, for old times' sake.

Or even, for old times' sake, one of the left splinter parties.

Then one day, just for old times' sake, I paid a visit to Winston Street.

This was really just for old times' sake, just for fun.

for the first time

At present, Akeakamai can understand sentences of up to five words, and can understand commands even when hearing them for the first time.

By hearing them, we recognise them and we also, perhaps for the first time, see them as strange.

It rained for the first time since we arrived in Sian today.

Remember, these twelve artistic masterpieces are now on collectors' plates for the first time.

She leans forward-and, for the first time since the first time-she kisses him.

That day, the skies had clouded and, for the first time, the weather was cooler.

The Federal Communications Commission began to regulate rates for the first time.

from that/this day/time/moment etc forward

It was resolved that from this day forward they shall be called by the name of the Veterinary College, London.

give sb a hard time

My mother gave me a really hard time about Freddy. She couldn't stand him.

She left the company because her boss was giving her a really hard time.

Stop giving me such a hard time. I'm doing my best.

When I first came here everyone gave me a really hard time, because I was the first woman to run a department.

Her boss, Detective Hineline, is always giving her a hard time and she never gets really mad at him.

If you wonder why people give you a hard time, it's because you write shit like this.

Maybe Modigliani gave them a hard time, I don't know.

The crew gave him a hard time, and even the cast was cautious about him.

The laughter had stopped a while ago and, ever since, Lydia's imagination had been giving her a hard time.

Tom gave him a hard time.

Watson had been given a hard time from the Wednesday crowd before those goals but is now hoping the tide has turned.

Yet Wakefield gave them a hard time throughout.

have a hard time

A lot of people are having a hard time making ends meet.

Anyone calling the 202 area code this weekend had a hard time getting through.

I'm still having a hard time getting the company to pay me.

I tried to find the house but I had such a hard time, I decided to give up.

Premature babies have a hard time even under the best of circumstances.

By contrast, books such as Randi's have a hard time finding enthusiastic editors.

Cynics will have a hard time taking this seriously.

Even the birds have a hard time of it, and you and Mr..

He may have a hard time persuading lawmakers.

I have a hard time eating meals when I should.

The innovation of Private Eye ensured that deference, if not quite dead, would henceforth have a hard time.

We have a hard time pulling off one conference.

Your boy have a hard time getting it across?

have a whale of a time

have an easy time (of it)

She hasn't had an easy time of it since Jack left.

Hu did not have an easy time of it at first.

in (the) course of time

A literal offering of bread and wine has in the course of time been included in the eucharistic ritual.

As new species in the course of time are formed through natural selection, others will become rarer.

It has also been clearly established that in the course of time evaluation of particular variants can change or even be reversed.

Physical death follows in the course of time.

The critical question was: Why has life undergone this progressive development in the course of time?

in former times/years

No rocks, to our knowledge, are untouched by life in former times.

in good time (for sth/to do sth)

in less than no time

in no time

And in no time at all, they see their dreams come true.

He got back to normal in no time.

He made Tracy in no time.

If Sien went back with them, she would be driven back to her old life in no time.

If you're telling the truth, Peter, you can be back here in no time.

The thick pungent smoke from the spliff filled the car in no time as Firebug took long leisurely tokes and sat back.

We were off the tanks in no time.

Your house will be sold in no time at all!

in record time

During these years she made her journeys in record time.

Everyone in Knockglen heard about it in record time, but what they heard bore little relation to the facts.

No question, and he did it in record time.

She shifts into high gear and gets out of the house, down the hill and over to Starbucks in record time.

The human species has probably not undergone much genetic change in recorded time.

We got home in record time.

We had finished the drive back down to the highway from Can-yon de Chelly in record time.

We pulled out all the stops and gave the company a response in record time.

in the fullness of time

I'm sure he'll tell us everything in the fullness of time.

And in the fullness of Time the seed S grew into a beautiful Tree, which is what T stands for.

Doubtless their minds are uncluttered by the thought that in the fullness of time they themselves will appear on the list.

The rules allowed them this 2:1 majority but in the fullness of time it would become unacceptable to members.

in the nick of time

Radio contact was established in the nick of time and we managed to transmit a message to the ship.

She escaped from her smoke-filled home just in the nick of time.

The money came through just in the nick of time.

But all was well in the nick of time.

But better in the nick of time than not at all.

Enter Taligent with its promised solution for rapid applications prototyping and customization in a hardware-independent environment just in the nick of time.

He did, however, in the nick of time, and I was issued uneventfully into the governance of Calvin Coolidge.

It finally happened -- and just in the nick of time.

Patience, she counselled herself, and turned the chicken in the nick of time.

Those doughty editorial professionals at the Star have once again helped us avert a foolish mistake just in the nick of time!

With repairs completed in the nick of time she sailed for the operation with a depleted crew.

in your own good time

He would do what had to be done in his own good time; she must leave him to it.

Once the rabbit is dead it can be retrieved in your own good time.

The problems are the normal ones of adolescence and will pass in their own good time.

Tina had felt let down, but knowing Bobby, he would tell them in his own good time what had happened.

Whatever Jack wanted to do or say he would do or say in his own good time.

in your own sweet way/time

Did he think he was so important that he could finish the cottage in his own sweet time?

I'd rather carry on in my own sweet way, and I'd rather be in Stockholm.

I probably love him, in my own sweet way.

You can just sit back and read the responses and decide the winner in your own sweet time.

it is high time sb did sth

It's high time we pulled together and got the job done right.

it's only/just a matter of time

It was only a matter of time before Lynn found out Phil's secret.

You'll learn how to do it eventually -- it's only a matter of time.

Your father is dying and there's nothing we can do. I'm afraid it's just a matter of time.

But they believe it's only a matter of time before the disease crosses the county boundary.

If he hasn't already killed somebody, then it's only a matter of time.

They think it's only a matter of time before he breaks.

long time no see

Uh, and says, uh, long time no see,.

lost in the mists of time

And, for some reason lost in the mists of time, we need to do that.

What actually transpired upon the outbreak of the Civil War is lost in the mists of time it would seem.

many's the time/day etc (that/when)

me time

nine times out of ten

Nine times out of ten I just skip breakfast and have a coffee.

Nine times out of ten we can beat them, but last night they creamed us.

Nine times out of ten, jobs that become vacant are filled from inside the organization.

now's the time (for sb) to do sth

once upon a time

Once upon a time children did what they were told.

After all, it is once upon a time.

However, once upon a time the mathematician was a child too.

I'd have done anything for you once upon a time.

One could spend a lifetime learning a small range of mountains, and once upon a time people did.

Perhaps objects like these had been fashionable in churches once upon a time, but no longer, hence the attic.

She might never have ironed shirts, but she too had once upon a time brought Jacob little surprises, little presents.

There was, once upon a time, another book from which this kind of scientific certainty was derived.

price-wise/time-wise etc

quite a/some time

For quite some time he lived with the expectation that he was going to die.

He found out we had been pulling the wool over his eyes for quite some time.

If the skin and gills are kept moist they can remain out of water for quite some time.

In other words, it Adll be quite some time before the kinks are worked out of the system.

It must have taken quite a time.

It was brought to her before I really got to know her, but it was with her for quite some time.

Judging the competition has taken quite some time and was no easy matter.

Uh I have no for quite some time.

sb puts his pants on one leg at a time

short time

Employees may try working at the new location for a short time and then decide not to continue.

In this way a carcass can draw vultures from far away in a short time.

Just a short time ago the forest was impenetrable ... and safe.

Now that he's on short time he's doing more round the house.

One year is a very short time.

Police arrested a male juvenile a short time later.

The forest has reclaimed the fields even in this short time since I was last there.

sign of the times

At the time, I took this decay merely as a sign of the times.

But in a sign of the times, Army Chief Gen.

But Reagan read the signs of the times.

Is this a sign of the times?

It was a sign of the times. 1956.

That we owe this to the vast reach of cyberspace is indeed a sign of the times.

This is a real sign of the times and completely eclipses global fears about ecology or famine.

sort of price/time/speed etc

But it was the key sort of time, wasn't it?

Got to call opposite number in Coventry office about outstanding claim ... 16.22 Meeting time not like any other sort of time.

It was the sort of price any commander had to pay for hoped-for victory.

It was the sort of time and place where poems flourished along with the vegetation.

Most of us do not have that sort of time to spare.

Of course, a tactless dealer irritated him even more at this sort of time.

Of course, there were other sorts of times too.

spare time/moment/hour etc

Darby was a cheerfully relaxed young man who compiled cryptic crosswords for a monthly magazine in his spare time.

In her spare time she makes and decorates cakes of different shapes and sizes for all occasions.

In his spare time, Grigsby gave legal advice to the Black Panthers.

In many schools, teachers are spending their spare time fund-raising and making equipment to support the new Curriculum.

Q: What do you do in your spare time?

Q: When you have spare time, what do you do?

We had some spare time, so we started messing around with samples and sequencers and stuff.

take time out (to do sth)

A: I am going to take time out and go to college.

Actress Beverley D'Angelo is taking time out from her screen career to perform a risqué country set across the Bible belt.

At the product's launch, the company took time out to damn 3Com's boundary routing scheme with faint praise.

Despite his increasingly hectic schedule, Haden graciously took time out to be interviewed about the Quartet and the Jazzfest tour.

I shall take time out to call at Aurae Phiala.

If you actually worked for Jobs, he took time out from preaching the Mac gospel to meddle in your life.

Nurses in Training Questions: Do nurse teachers take time out to discuss their teaching methods with their peers?

The 73-year-old Republican standard-bearer took time out of his busy campaign schedule last week to search for those roots.

the big time

He played in clubs for years before making it to the big time.

the dawn of civilization/time etc

Once, long ago, at the dawn of time, he had persuaded man to disobey in a garden.

Since the dawn of time, roughly a hundred billion human beings have walked the planet Earth.

the march of time/history/progress etc

At present these are banned, as are crossbows, but will these eventually be admitted with the march of progress?

But in 1874-not ten years earlier or later-city and nation endured a painful pause in the march of progress.

Like Franco, Arrese was trying to hold back the march of history.

New discoveries have opened up all kinds of possibilities for holding back the march of time.

They succeeded because they brought hope to the losers whom the march of progress had left behind.

This little community is still in existence, largely untouched by the march of time.

the passage of time

If anything, fashion is moving closer to the context of his style with the passage of time.

Increased and improved communication plus the passage of time and more frequent face-to-face contacts should greatly improve understanding.

Quite simply, the passage of time and new techniques had taken their toll.

She knew she ought to report the death, but felt she could not because of the passage of time.

They are lonely, sitting in quiet living rooms with clocks that loudly announce the passage of time with each tick.

This balance changes with the passage of time as experience fashions these blueprints into more serviceable guides.

Under these circumstances the future details of a transaction can be settled only when uncertainty is resolved by the passage of time.

We were oblivious of the passage of time.

the passing of time/the years

The passing of the years has not weakened his artistic ability.

the sands of time

the time is ripe (for sth)

Amato thinks the time is ripe for educational reform.

The time was ripe for change in the company.

As with acupuncture, this is a difficult field for research, but the time is ripe for active scientific investigations.

So the time is ripe for a major overhaul of the sixth form.

the wheel of fortune/life/time etc

And, as the wheel of fortune continues on its inexorable cycle, values are likely to start going up again soon.

Then the wheel of fortune turned.

third time lucky

Barcelona, having lost the 1961 and 1986 finals, hope it will be third time lucky.

Everyone is praying that this time it will be third time lucky.

Maybe he's out there thinking: third time lucky.

Odds-on favourite last time at Haydock, he was narrowly beaten into third place, but tomorrow should prove third time lucky.

three years/five times etc running

time hangs/lies heavy on your hands

time/money/energy waster

Although it is easy to dismiss meetings as time wasters , the above indicates why you should take them seriously.

Cons: Writing with pen and paper is perhaps one of the greatest time wasters in the business world.

FoE pinpointed fridges, light bulbs, washing machines, dishwashers, televisions, and tumble driers as energy wasters .

Good experience and dedication, no time wasters .

Romantic as it may be, a fireplace without glass doors is a real energy waster .

times table

And I don't really know my Two Times Table .

For Peter, puzzles are great fun; he likes to learn such details as state capitals and the times tables .

I expect to recycle our work on the times tables .

She knew her times tables and her Catechism.

to the end of time

He could be followed to the end of time, and still nothing would happen.

twice over/three times over etc

unearthly hour/time etc

EXAMPLES FROM OTHER ENTRIES

I'm going to run to the corner and back - time me.

Stephen timed his arrival for exactly six o'clock.

The fastest big cat, the cheetah, has been timed at over 60 mph.

The first track race is timed for 11.15.

The meditation class will be timed so that it does not coincide with the noisier exercise classes.

The release of the document was shrewdly timed.

The swimming teacher always times us over 100 metres.

Walker timed the pass perfectly.

We timed how long it took us to get there.

EXAMPLES FROM CORPUS

They timed the call to coincide with the attack on the Cokleys'.

Those chords of searching bewilderment in the finale were timed to a microsecond and projected an awesome tingle of fear.

Longman DOCE5 Extras English vocabulary.      Дополнительный английский словарь Longman DOCE5.