15 Idioms for Periods of Time

15 Idioms for Periods of Time 15 Idioms for Periods of Time 15 Idioms for Periods of Time By Mark Nichol A body of idiomatic words and expressions vividly denote brief periods of time or otherwise refer to various durations. Here’s a sampling of such terms. 1. After hours: In the evening or at night, or late in the day (referring to standard daytime hours that most businesses are open) 2. Banker’s hours: A relatively short duration (from the onetime tradition that banks were open for a limited number of hours compared to other businesses; therefore, one who keeps banker’s hours has a light work schedule) 3. Bat/wink/twinkling of an eye: variations of an idiom referring to a period of time so brief that it passes while one’s eyelid moves 4. Eleventh hour: occurring late in a given time frame (from the fact that the eleventh hour is the last in the day before midnight) 5. Flash: an instant (from the fact that a flash of flame is short lived) 6. Heartbeat: an instant (from the duration between one heartbeat and the next); usually seen in the expression â€Å"in a heartbeat†; by contrast, a phrase beginning â€Å"a heartbeat away from† refers to someone being in line for promotion if the heart of that person’s immediate superior stops beating that is, if the other person dies 7. Jiffy: an instant (perhaps from slang for lightning); also shortened to jiff 8. New York minute: a brief time (from the notion that minutes in the hectic milieu of New York City pass more quickly than those in more relaxed locales) 9. On the hour: at the beginning of every hour 19. Shake: a very short period; usually employed in the phrase â€Å"two shakes† (a truncation of the idiom â€Å"two shakes of a lamb’s tail,† alluding to the typically rapid motion of the young animal’s tail) 11. Small hours: the early morning (from the low numbers on the clock that indicate the time during that period) 12. Split second: a fraction of a second (from the notion that a second can be split, or subdivided); a split is also a fraction of the total elapsed time for a race 13. Tick: a moment (from the ticking of a clock); a tick is literally a mark used for measure, as on a clock 14. Trice: a short period of time (from a word meaning â€Å"pull†); often seen in the phrase â€Å"in a trice† 15. Witching hour: midnight or the middle of the night (with the connotation that unsettling or unusual things happen then, from the superstition that witches are about at that time) Note: The DWT Freelance Writing Course will be re-opening next Tuesday, November 6. Make sure to mark it on your calendar if you are planning to join us. The course costs $97 (single payment), and it runs for six weeks. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Vocabulary category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:When to Use â€Å"That,† â€Å"Which,† and â€Å"Who†Comma Before ButEnglish Grammar 101: Sentences, Clauses and Phrases

Canadas Soldiers essays

Canada's Soldiers essays Despite Canada's obvious disadvantage given it's sizen as well as the youth and inexperience of it's soldiers, Canada was automatically entered into global conflict along side the British in 1914. The given circumstances lead to over 60,000 deaths through out the course world war one. Young Canadians were romanticized by the glorious and adventurous image of war painted by the British and Canadian Governments through war propaghanda. British Soldiers were considered more importnant the the War effort than the lives of Canadians and as a result of this young inexperienced Canadians speared headed most major British operations and were sacrificed to protect British soldiers reserved for later in the battles. After the great war had dragged on for more than two years, Britain looked to her Empire for troops for the battlefield. Most countries like Canada had sent volunteers, however the demand for soldiers far outstripped the voluntary totals. The Canadian parliament debated adopting conscription, and the pro-Empire sentiment in English Canada was strong and in support of conscription. However there was a strong movement in Quebec against conscription given the Contribution Quebec had all ready given to WW1. ...

Religion and Law in U.S Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Religion and Law in U.S - Essay Example Though the government cannot interfere with religion itself, they may step in when and if they feel the need; especially if a certain ritual is putting a person at risk . An example of the conflict that is seen with the oxymoronic clauses which supposedly go hand in hand is in the religious cult refered to as the Jehova’s Witnesses. The government or authorities will not restrict the religion itself but the behavior and affects of the rituals can be brought to their attention. They therefore are obliged to restrict religious-related activities that interfere with the wellbeing of a person. Its’ all done in the name of â€Å"the law† Another example of the two clauses being inforced but yet scrutinized is in the prosecution of polygamy. The idea of polygamy states that as many can have more than one wife and father as many children as possible. The court upheld Mr. Reynold’s, in Reynold’s Vs. the United States, convition and they believed that if they did not stand up against such behavior, they were indirectly allowing other practices to take place such as human sacrifice. Combining both clauses together, the US has documented its existence in the 1st amendment and has named it the â€Å"religion clauses† because they both thereby state their involvement in protecting the human race while at the same time, giving freedom of religion itself and expression in a country and a land that is free. Without theses clauses, people would get away with murder claiming it was done in the â€Å"name of God or Allah.† Both clauses is an issue of preference allowing people to choose the religion they want to be involved in. Without their freedom, people are bound by regulations they perceived to have vanished before touching down on U.S. soil. The clauses also state that they cannot force anyone to worship a certain way nor can they create establishments favoring one form of religion or the other. With this