🕰️ Give (Someone) the Time of Day: Time-Telling and Terribly Trite Tunes 🌤️
Ah, the phrase “give (someone) the time of day.” One might imagine a courteous conversation about the hour, but it’s really about giving someone even the slightest bit of attention.
📜 Definition:
Give (someone) the time of day: To acknowledge or spend time with someone, especially someone one would typically ignore.
🌟 Synonyms:
- Acknowledge
- Notice
- Engage with
🚫 Antonyms:
- Ignore
- Brush off
- Snub
Memorable Quotes:
- “He wouldn’t even give me the time of day, but he’d certainly give me a hard time.” - W. T. Wittywords
- “Wouldn’t give me the time of day, yet expects me to give him the moon and stars!” - Lucy L. Lingo herself
Similar Expressions:
- Not lift a finger: To refuse to help.
- Turn a blind eye: To ignore or pretend not to notice.
- Cold shoulder: To treat someone with indifference.
🌍 Proverbs:
“Actions speak louder than words.” If someone won’t even “give you the time of day,” their actions say it all.
📚 Literature:
- “Great Expectations” by Charles Dickens: Pip often feels Miss Havisham would barely give him the time of day.
- Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen: Mr. Darcy initially doesn’t “give Elizabeth the time of day,” but oh how things change.
🎵 Songs:
- “Hello” by Adele: Sometimes you just want someone to give you the time of day, especially if you’re singing with such emotion.
- “You’re So Vain” by Carly Simon: A classic example of not giving someone the time of day because the subject probably didn’t deserve it.
🎬 Movies:
- Mean Girls: Remember when Regina George makes Cady feel utterly ignored?
- The Pursuit of Happyness: Chris Gardner, mistaken for another homeless man, barely gets the time of day—until eventually, he does.
✍️ Poetry:
- William Carlos Williams in “This is Just to Say”: “Forgive me, they were delicious” might not want the time of day, just the plums.
### Which phrase signifies a lack of acknowledgment?
- [x] Give someone the cold shoulder
- [ ] Give someone a high five
- [ ] Offer someone a hand
- [ ] Lift someone's spirits
> **Explanation:** "Give someone the cold shoulder" means to ignore or snub someone, akin to not giving them the time of day.
### Which idiom means showing indifference?
- [ ] Bend over backward
- [ ] Go the extra mile
- [ ] Jump through hoops
- [x] Turn a blind eye
> **Explanation:** "Turn a blind eye" means to deliberately ignore, much like refusing to give someone the time of day.
### True or False: Giving someone the time of day is a negative idiom.
- [ ] True
- [x] False
> **Explanation:** Though it means minimal acknowledgment, it's not necessarily negative—it’s just minimal engagement.
💬 Thanks for delving into the nuanced world of clichés with me! Remember, even time’s fleeting snippets can spark changes.
Your wordsmith, Lucy
