Time-related expressions to expand your vocabulary

Why is a March hare bad? 10 time-related phrases explained

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The creation of new phrases, proverbs, and sayings is one of the most colorful aspects of language development. However, for this to happen, an essential ingredient is key: time. Therefore, through this article, we aim to offer curious readers interesting facts about the origins of figurative expressions related to this specific aspect of life. Continue reading to discover 10 popular idioms about time.

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We use the expression In the nick of time to describe something that happens just in time, right before the critical moment. The origin of the phrase can be traced back to the 1500s, when the word nick meant "the precise moment of an occurrence or an event."

In the 16th century, a tally, or 'nick-stick,' was used to keep track of time, points in sporting events, commercial transactions, and official government bookkeeping records. The first written record of the complete phrase, as we use it today to express relief that something happened before a disaster, dates back to the mid-17th century.

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A May-December romance occurs between two people with a wide age difference. Why these months? May is the peak of spring, when the weather is warm and pleasant, and flowers bloom—metaphorically representing youth and femininity. December, on the other hand, marks the beginning of winter and is often associated with decay, thus symbolizing aging men.

The expression first appeared in the 14th century in The Merchant's Tale, one of the Canterbury Tales written by English poet and author Geoffrey Chaucer. In this story, a mature man, Mr. January, is determined to marry a young woman named May in order to leave an heir. Years later, when Britain adopted the Gregorian calendar and January 1st was established as the beginning of the year, the phrase evolved to use December, symbolizing the end of an era—and ultimately, the end of a life.

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According to the Cambridge Dictionary, this expression means that "it is better for someone to arrive or do something late than not to arrive or do it at all." You probably didn't need the dictionary definition for this one, as it is one of the most popular and widely used idioms in everyday language.

What you might not know is that it has a very ancient origin and is actually a translation of an old Latin proverb. How did it make its way into English? Well—surprise, surprise!—it was by the hand of Chaucer and his Canterbury Tales. He wrote it, as early as the Middle Ages, as follows: "for bet than never is late." Over time, the wording changed slightly. Today, we know the phrase as "better late than never," though it retains the same metaphorical meaning.

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Once in a blue moon is an idiomatic phrase used to describe something that very rarely happens. Although it’s just a theory, the Oxford English Dictionary suggests that the color blue might have been an arbitrary choice. First recorded in the 16th century, saying the moon was blue was a way of indicating that something could not be true.

However, blue moons do occur—though only under extremely rare atmospheric conditions, such as the eruption of a volcano or a forest fire. So, while the color mentioned may have been random in its origin, the phrase as we use it today makes perfect sense.

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Have you ever left an important issue unattended, only for it to get increasingly worse? It happens! That's why this proverb has been popular since at least the 18th century. A stitch in time saves nine means that if you address a problem immediately, it may save a lot of extra work later.

According to the Oxford Dictionary, the number nine here has no particular significance but was chosen because it sounds similar to the word time. Another explanation is that, when a piece of clothing has a tear, it is best to repair it as soon as possible to prevent the tear from getting bigger and requiring more stitches.

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For those of us who love punctuality and like to keep an orderly schedule, a movable feast can be a nuisance. As can be inferred, this expression describes an event that can happen at any time or place and may change without notice.

Its origin, however, is related to religious celebrations. In a religious context, a movable feast refers to a holy day—such as Easter—that doesn’t occur on the same calendar date each year.

Over time, it became part of colloquial language, and today, we use it to refer to any event that doesn't have a set time or date. Ernest Hemingway's memoir, A Moveable Feast, likely contributed to the adoption of the phrase into our everyday vocabulary.

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In its literal sense, this expression refers to the popular superstition that witches and other supernatural forces are most active at midnight. Although its traditional use originates in folk tales, one of the earliest written references dates back to the early 17th century and appears in one of William Shakespeare's iconic plays. Prince Hamlet declares: "‘Tis now the very witching time of night, when churchyards yawn and hell itself breathes out contagion to this world."

In modern times, however, this expression has taken on a more colloquial meaning and is used to describe any situation that may be problematic or unpredictable. All those who have raised children are familiar with this particular time of day: whenever a baby starts fussing and crying for no apparent reason, everyone knows that the witching hour—a.k.a. bedtime—has arrived.

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Have you ever felt that someone was ignoring you, not paying the slightest attention, or blatantly disrespecting you? In those cases, the idiom Don't give the time of day comes into play. While it might seem to have a literal meaning—that it refers to someone who can't even take a second to tell you the time—it actually has a twist.

A long time ago, the expression "good time of day" was widely used as a greeting, a way to say hello to someone. In fact, the first written records of this now-outdated form of greeting can be found in some of Shakespeare's plays. Considering this meaning, it makes much more sense that the idiom carries such a negative connotation.

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This idiom is used to express that something is going to take a very—very—long time. Note that a month’s worth of Sundays amounts to about 30 or 31 weeks. Nowadays, Sunday marks the end of the weekend, and for many, it is a day full of contradictions. On one hand, it means we can rest; on the other, it signals the start of the workweek and the return to duties.

But decades ago, for most people, Sundays were a very long, seemingly endless period of time. For this reason, it is believed that this expression may refer to the traditionally slow passage of Sundays, often due to religious restrictions on activity or entertainment. Imagine a whole 30 weeks of total boredom and tedium—that’s what this phrase represents!

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Mad as a March hare is an idiomatic English phrase that means to be completely crazy. It is similar to another well-known expression, mad as a hatter, which originated from Lewis Carroll's character, the Mad Hatter, in Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. In this case, the madness derives from the belief that hatters suffered from the effects of mercury poisoning due to the fumes released in the manufacture of felt hats.

The March hare version, however, refers to the way hares leap about during the breeding season in Europe. It is said that the behavior of these animals during the month of March is completely erratic, including boxing other hares and jumping for no particular reason.

Inspiring twists and turns of language

Are you a maven or a klutz? 10 English words of Yiddish origin

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In modern English, around half of all words are borrowed from other languages, including French, Italian, Spanish, and even Yiddish. A few terms from this Germanic language, written in the Hebrew alphabet, have made their way into the American vocabulary by descendants of Yiddish-speaking immigrants who couldn’t find any English words to better describe what they were trying to express. Did you know that maven, glitch, and lox have Yiddish origins? Join us to discover 10 amazing words derived from Yiddish!

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Quite a few words that start with schm– have been adopted into English from Yiddish, and schmooze is one of the most popular. According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, schmooze means to converse or chat informally. The term comes from the Yiddish word schmues ("talk") which in turn derives from the Hebrew shěmu’ōth ("news" or "rumor").

Although originally this Americanism dating back to 1895-1900 only meant to chat idly or to gossip, over time it acquired a new, somewhat more negative meaning. Today, when we say that someone is schmoozing, we mean that they are engaging in conversation in a persuasive manner to gain something in return.

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Well, this one is a no-brainer. Of course, the word bagel comes from Yiddish! Originally spelled beigel in the earliest written English records, the term derives from the Yiddish term beygl or beygel. In turn, this word originates from the Old German bēag ("ring or bracelet").

The exact origin of this exquisite ring-shaped bread roll is unknown, but it is believed to have its roots in central Europe. In a document from 1610, which contains the rules of the Jewish community of Cracow, they are mentioned in Yiddish. Although today bagels are a staple of New York cuisine, the truth is that we have Jewish immigrants to thank for introducing them to our country in the late 19th century.

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There's no bagel without some cured or smoked fish to go with it. As expected, the word lox also derives from Yiddish, specifically from the term laks, which in turn comes from the old German lahs, meaning "salmon."

The earliest known use of the noun lox in English dates back to the 1930s. Interestingly, other languages use a similar variant of lox that is also pronounced the same way. This is because the meaning and pronunciation of the word have remained unaltered for over 8,000 years. In fact, lox is one of the terms that has helped linguists discover where the Proto-Indo-Europeans —a prehistoric ethnolinguistic group of Eurasia from which most languages originate— lived.

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Do you consider yourself a maven? You probably are! A maven is an experienced or knowledgeable person, in other words, an expert. It's true, you don't become a maven overnight, but we are all experts at something, even if it's just a hobby.

What you may not know is that the English word maven, first recorded in writing in 1907 according to the Oxford English Dictionary, derives from the Yiddish meyvn. This word, in turn, comes from the Late Hebrew mēbhīn, which literally means "one who understands." While for many years the word was used only in Jewish circles, by the early 1960s, maven finally joined other Yiddishisms in mainstream American culture. Today we have "media mavens," "literary mavens," and even "computer mavens."

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This article may not have the glitz and glamour of Hollywood but it's been pretty interesting so far, don't you think? And so, now it's the turn of the word glitz, which as you can imagine, derives from Yiddish, even though it was only incorporated into our everyday language in the 1970s.

Glitz and glitzy are Yiddish for "glitter" or "glittery," and originate from the German term glitzern meaning "sparkle." Today, however, the meaning of this word has broadened. It is now used to refer to something ostentatious, flashy, or extravagant in appearance.

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You have probably used this word thousands of times to refer to someone's buttocks in a cute, polite, and humorous way, most likely about a baby or a child. The truth is that the term tush began to be used more frequently in the English language as recently as the 1970s and if we analyze the etymology, it makes perfect sense.

The word tush, meaning the part of the body that you sit on, is almost certainly a modification of the Yiddish tokhes, which originates from the Hebrew taḥath meaning "under, beneath." So, next time you fall on your tush you'll know exactly what it means!

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Here we have another schm- word derived from Yiddish. Maybe this one is not so common and you don't use it regularly in your daily vocabulary, but according to Merriam-Webster Dictionary, it means "extremely or excessively sentimental," usually related to art or music.

In its literal sense, schmaltz comes from Yiddish shmalts, which means "liquid animal fat." Did you know that once upon a time schmaltz was spread on toast and eaten as if it were butter? You only had to visit a Jewish restaurant to find a bottle filled with chicken fat on your table! Why did we add the -y in America to refer to a piece of entertainment that is exaggerated or even tacky? That, my friends, is just one more linguistic mystery!

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This word is probably derived from Yiddish, although, as is usually the case, we cannot be a hundred percent certain. It apparently comes from glitsh, a Yiddish word for "slippery place," and from glitshn, meaning "to slide," or "glide."

According to Merriam-Webster, the term glitch today means "a malfunction" or "a minor problem that causes a temporary setback." However, in its original sense, it was "a sudden surge of current" and was mostly used in radio and television in the 1940s and 1950s to refer to technical problems.

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If you want to avoid an accident, never give something valuable to a klutz to carry. A klutz is, simply put, a clumsy person, someone who often drops things and is probably not very good at sports. The word is an Americanization of the Yiddish term klots, which means "wooden beam."

It came into use in the United States in the mid-1920s. At first, it was a derogatory slang term, but now it has a slightly more humorous and affectionate connotation.

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Do you know any machers? Once you understand the meaning of this word borrowed from Yiddish, one or two people will come to mind. In English, a macher is a powerful and influential person and the earliest known use of this noun is from 1911. In Yiddish, the term makher means exactly the same thing.

But this word, in turn, has its origin in Middle High German macher, which means "maker, creator," and derives from machen "to make, do." Aren't the twists and turns of language wonderful?