In this chapter of “The Dictionary of Clichés,” we delve into the notion of timing being everything, much like fruit that has ripened to perfection.
Cliché: The time is ripe
Definition: A suitable occasion or moment for a particular event, where time is likened to fruit that has ripened and is ready to pick or eat.
Origin: The term was already known in Shakespeare’s time. He used it in Henry IV, Part 1: “I by letters shall direct your course. When time is ripe, which will be suddenly, I’ll steal to Glendower and Lord Mortimer” (1.3).
Related Expressions:
- It’s high time
- Seize the day (Carpe diem)
- When the stars align
- In the nick of time
- The perfect moment
Synonyms:
- Opportune moment
- Golden opportunity
- Right time
- Perfect timing
Antonyms:
- Wrong time
- Inopportune moment
- Bad timing
Humorous Quotes:
- “The early bird may get the worm, but it’s the second mouse that gets the cheese.” – Steven Wright
- “Timing has a lot to do with the outcome of a rain dance.” – Cowboy Proverb
Notable Literature/Books:
- “The Power of Now” by Eckhart Tolle
- “Outliers: The Story of Success” by Malcolm Gladwell
- “In Search of Lost Time” by Marcel Proust
Songs:
- “Time After Time” by Cyndi Lauper
- “Time of Your Life” by Green Day
- “Right Here, Right Now” by Fatboy Slim
Poetry:
- “To the Virgins, to Make Much of Time” by Robert Herrick
- “Ode on a Distant Prospect of Eton College” by Thomas Gray
Movies:
- “In Time” (2011)
- “Back to the Future” Trilogy
- “About Time” (2013)
Proverbs:
- “Make hay while the sun shines.”
- “There’s no time like the present.”
- “Better late than never.”
For practical applications, make sure your life’s bananas are peeled, and the fruit of time is picked when it’s juicily perfect. Next time you find yourself waiting for the right moment, remember: sometimes you’ve just got to pluck it when it’s at its prime!
Farewell Thought: Knowing when the time is ripe can turn a good life into an extraordinary one. Seize those moments with zest.
E. L. Epiphany
