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Time Idioms

Can you fill the blanks in these idioms that relate to the passing of time?
Quiz by Quizmaster
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Last updated: December 2, 2019
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First submittedAugust 6, 2013
Times taken78,188
Average score79.2%
Rating4.38
4:00
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 / 24 guessed
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Idiom
Better late than never
In the blink of an eye
Came down to the wire
At the eleventh hour
Never in a million years
Once in a blue moon
Living on borrowed time
Make up for lost time
Idiom
Just in the nick of time
Stand the test of time
When hell freezes over
One's days are numbered
There's no time like the present
Spur of the moment
A stitch in time saves nine
Time waits for no man
Idiom
Time flies when you're having fun
Racing against the clock
At the crack of dawn
Dwell on the past
Here today, gone tomorrow
At the stroke of midnight
I wasn't born yesterday
Thank goodness it's Friday
56 Comments
+8
Level 81
Dec 4, 2013
I think this is the easiest one of these types of quizzes I've encountered here. Got them all with almost 3 and a half minutes to spare.
+1
Level 46
Jun 15, 2016
Yeah it sure was. I got all of them very quickly but I had never heard the stitch in time idiom so I missed that.
+16
Level 79
Aug 17, 2022
well then you didn't get all of them did you!!
+2
Level 68
Jan 5, 2024
lol
+4
Level 78
Dec 4, 2013
I've always thought it was "At the crack of noon."
+7
Level 81
Dec 4, 2013
a joking reference to the original idiom made by those who like to sleep in late, or by others disparaging them.
+11
Level 91
Apr 1, 2019
Who's this Dawn girl anyway?
+2
Level 37
Dec 7, 2013
That's when my teenage son wakes up :/
+21
Level 82
Dec 4, 2013
"Goodness"? Only ever heard "Thank GOD it's Friday."
+13
Level 68
Aug 19, 2016
Yeah, I really don't think this idiom is EVER used with "goodness" instead of "God". Why on earth would you put goodness as the clue?
+14
Level 81
Nov 12, 2018
The same reason people say "dagnabbit," "gosh dang," "ods bonkins," and "zounds!" ... to avoid blasphemy
+3
Level 67
Nov 13, 2024
Classic bowdlerisation
+7
Level 36
Nov 13, 2018
I kept trying "it's over" and "it's done" because of that. "TGIF is Thank God It's Friday." But people say "Thank goodness that's over." and "Thank goodness that's done/finished." Oh well, I got it eventually.
+4
Level 48
Apr 29, 2020
I've only ever heard TFI Friday
+1
Level 22
Dec 8, 2013
It's sad when I only get 8 and still get the lowest guessed correctly answer correct
+2
Level 36
Nov 13, 2018
No, it means you're bright but eclectic or eccentric or something (I do it a lot.).
+8
Level 79
Mar 15, 2014
I like Blanche Devereaux's response to the first question better: "Better late than pregnant".
+10
Level 76
Aug 23, 2014
Also, time waits for no one?
+1
Level 81
Jun 14, 2016
I've always said time waits for no mouse haha
+13
Level 17
Dec 5, 2014
Please accept no one or no body for no man. Great quiz!
+6
Level 70
Jun 14, 2016
Politicus correctisaurus strikes again!
+12
Level 36
Nov 13, 2018
If you were one of the 51% of the population always omitted from those constructions, you wouldn't call it P.C. but reality.
+5
Level 80
Dec 24, 2020
'Man' here refers to a person in general, rather than just those of the male sex.
+3
Level 79
Nov 13, 2024
Weird coincidence that the word for "those of the male sex" just happens to be the same as the word for "person in general."
+1
Level 40
Nov 14, 2024
i mean, it's not "huwoman" is it?
+4
Level 88
Jun 14, 2016
Well, actually, I tried one and body, but not man...
+6
Level 76
Mar 26, 2023
I think I've only ever heard this idiom as "no one". Granted I am not very cultured.
+1
Level 57
Nov 15, 2024
I don't know about that, but I most definitely only ever encountered "no one" in spoken British English in 14 years of living there. Colloquially, it may have been "nobody", but "no man" never featured.
+3
Level 71
Dec 14, 2014
No "Seize the day"?
+1
Level 88
Jul 15, 2015
When I saw "time idioms", "stitch in time" was the first thing i thought of. so i'm surprised it was the least guessed answer.
+1
Level 70
Jun 14, 2016
I had it on the tip of my tongue and it was the last I got, but I know the saying so well.
+1
Level 48
Jun 15, 2016
Me too. I thought everyone knew that saying.
+2
Level 62
Jun 14, 2016
Never even heard the stitch in time idiom. Only one I missed.
+6
Level 59
Jun 15, 2016
The full idiom is "A stitch in time, saves nine." It means to stop and take the time, right now, to repair a small hole rather than wait for it to become a big hole that will require many more stitches. The idiom can then be generalized to the bigger picture of: Stop and fix a small problem now rather than letting it become a big problem that is much harder to fix.
+1
Level 25
Nov 6, 2024
thank you, I had no idea what this meant
+1
Level 52
Jun 18, 2016
I only missed one, but still got beaten by nearly 30% of test takers. This is when the new points system comes in handy.
+4
Level 63
Feb 5, 2017
I got 100%, but I think you should accept "island" for "Living on _____ time." That's a common one for travelers. Sometimes we say "we're on island time" etc. instead of "living on" so maybe strictly speaking "island" shouldn't be accepted, but whatever. I guess it's not as structured as the other idioms!
+2
Level 44
Mar 23, 2018
huh? Ive never heard of living on island time in my life.
+2
Level 48
Oct 6, 2018
oh yes in many places it is used (small island communities where nothing happens and there are no deadlines)
+1
Level 36
Nov 12, 2018
^ Island Time is a politically correct way of saying CP time. It means that everything is postponed, delayed or late. On many Caribbean islands, don't even bother trying to do any official business after the lunch period, as you're likely to be told: "Come back tomorrow".
+1
Level 27
May 20, 2017
LOL, can't spell tomorrow right. (facepalm)
+1
Level 49
May 22, 2018
Got them!
+1
Level 15
Oct 7, 2018
thank goodness it's Friday?? hmm not what most people say! TFI Friday and I won't say what the F stands for
+2
Level 81
Apr 29, 2020
I went to a place that was a blatant rip-off of TGI Friday's in Dubai called TGI Thursday's. The weekend in Dubai starts on Thursday.
+3
Level 68
Jan 13, 2022
Oh, to be in an oil dictatorship...
+3
Level 74
Apr 29, 2020
Change 'goodnes' to 'God' and you're good to go!
+1
Level 66
May 22, 2020
If you did that some people from the bible belt might try to lynch the Quizmaster.
+2
Level 80
Dec 24, 2020
What do you mean?
+1
Level 67
Nov 13, 2024
Not even allowed to thank God these days, my guy; haven't you heard?
+2
Level 49
Nov 25, 2020
Came down to the wire is easy. The football commentators say this when it goes to a penalty shoot-out.
+1
Level 59
Nov 14, 2024
only in some places, "came down to the last second" or final second is a lot more normal.
+1
Level 40
Nov 14, 2024
and not everyone listens to sports commentators. duh.
+2
Level 80
Dec 24, 2020
I would've got the last one if it said 'Thank God it's ____' instead of 'goodness'
+6
Level 46
Aug 30, 2022
The impact of the ACTUAL phrase was diluted with "Thank goodness it's Friday."

I would have gotten 100% if it had been phrased correctly and according to the actual cliche: "Thank God it's Friday", as would many others. It's not an alternative phrase based on the sensitivities of others, it's an obfuscation.

It's also not a curse and not meant to offend. My recommendation is do it right or remove it.

+1
Level 55
Nov 15, 2024
I missed Friday

Wtf

+1
Level 55
Feb 11, 2025
nice quiz, cheers guys