⏳ Time to Kill: Slaying Spare Moments and Beyond ⚔️
Time to Kill
Spare time which one must somehow occupy.
Origins:
The phrase “time to kill” implies wasting or using time frivolously. An early usage can be traced to Vanbrugh and Cibber’s play The Provok’d Husband (1728):
“What think you, if we three sat soberly down to kill an hour at ombre [a card game]?”
Moreover, Ugo Betti in The Fugitive (1953) takes a more sober and critical view:
“Killing time is the chief end of our society.”
Synonyms:
- Free time
- Idle hours
- Leisure
- Spare moments
- Down time
Antonyms:
- Busy
- Pressed for time
- Hectic
- Time-poor
- Overloaded
Related Terms and Proverbs:
- Twiddling one’s thumbs: Doing nothing, often out of boredom.
- Passing the time: Engaging in some activity or diversion to make time pass more quickly.
- Bored stiff: Extremely bored.
- Beating the clock: Completing a task quickly before the allocated time elapses.
Humor-filled Quotes:
- “Time flies when you’re having fun, but time does gymnastics when you’re bored.” – Anonymous
- “They always say time changes things, but you actually have to change them yourself.” – Andy Warhol
References in Literature, Movies, and Songs:
- Book: Moby-Dick by Herman Melville, where characters often have time to kill while on their maritime adventure.
- Song: “Time After Time” by Cyndi Lauper, which emphasizes the inevitable passage of time.
- Movie: Groundhog Day, where the protagonist has an eternally repetitive day – talk about time to kill!
Inspirational Farewell:
“Time is what we want most, but what we use worst. Make every second count, whether you’re killing time or letting it breathe life into your dreams.” – T. I. Moslayer
### Which is a synonym for "time to kill"?
- [x] Leisure
- [ ] Frenzy
- [ ] Deadline rush
- [ ] Short-handedness
> **Explanation:** "Leisure" means free time in which one can engage in pleasant activities, thus fitting the concept of "time to kill."
### Which of the following occupations best matches the idiom "time to kill"?
- [ ] Brain surgery
- [ ] Emergency firefighter
- [x] Watching cat videos
- [ ] Completing a tax audit
> **Explanation:** Watching cat videos is the kind of activity people might do when they have time to kill.
### True or False: "Time to kill" generally suggests a positive, productive use of time.
- [ ] True
- [x] False
> **Explanation:** "Time to kill" often connotes wasting or using time frivolously rather than being productive or positive.
### Choose the correct phrase:
- [x] Killing time
- [ ] Building time
- [ ] Mending time
- [ ] Baking time
> **Explanation:** "Killing time" is the correct idiom for spending time leisurely or frivolously.
### Which of these expressions means the opposite of “time to kill”?
- [ ] Taking a nap
- [ ] Bored out of your mind
- [ ] Playing solitaire
- [x] Running out of time
> **Explanation:** "Running out of time" suggests a lack of spare time, directly opposing the concept of "time to kill."
