Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

give the time of day

Word Rarity Common

Frequency: Zipf frequency 5.44 in modern English

Syllables: give the -time of -day
IPA

32

Scrabble Score

16

Letters

3

Syllables

12

Unique Chars

Meaning

verb

To acknowledge someone; to give someone respect or attention; to tip one's hat.

verb

To not acknowledge someone; to snub someone; to disrespect someone; to ignore someone.

verb

To tell someone the time of day by looking at one's wristwatch, etc.

Dated

Example Sentences

"If you're lucky, she might give you the time of day."
"But meet him now, and be it in the Morne, / When euery one will giue the time of day, / He knits his Brow and ſhewes an angry Eye, / And paſſeth by with ſtiffe vnbowed Knee, / Diſdaining dutie that to vs belongs."
"He won't give the time of day to someone like you or me."
"I tried to say "hi", but she wouldn't give me the time of day."
""Daddy, please," Leanne laughed, "Give Linds a little credit. She wouldn't give the time of day to someone like Connor.""

Etymology

According to some, the expression originally literally referred to greeting someone with the obsolete greeting "good time of day", or other greeting appropriate to the time of day (e.g., good morning, good afternoon, good evening), and only later acquired an association with telling someone the time, along with its idiomatic sense.

Usage

Dated

Inflected Forms

gives the time of day (present, singular) giving the time of day (participle, present) gave the time of day (past) given the time of day (participle, past)

Phrases

give someone the time give someone time have the time time of day

Frequently Paired Words

daytime give someone the time give someone time have the time timekeep timekeeping time of day

Questions

What does give the time of day mean?: To acknowledge someone; to give someone respect or attention; to tip one's hat.
Where does give the time of day come from?: According to some, the expression originally literally referred to greeting someone with the obsolete greeting "good time of day", or other greeting appropriate to the time of day (e.g., good morning, good afternoon, good evening), and only later acquired an association with telling someone the time, along with its idiomatic sense.

How to pronounce give the time of day

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