Dictionary

give the time of day en · VERB

Pronunciation

• (Australia) audio

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.

Meanings

1. (idiomatic) To acknowledge someone; to give someone respect or attention; to tip one's hat.
   • 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. 1591 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Second Part of Henry the Sixt, […]”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies. […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act III, scene i], page 130, column 2:
2. (idiomatic, in the negative) To not acknowledge someone; to snub someone; to disrespect someone; to ignore someone.
   • I tried to say "hi", but she wouldn't give me the time of day.
   • He won't give the time of day to someone like you or me.
   • "Daddy, please," Leanne laughed, "Give Linds a little credit. She wouldn't give the time of day to someone like Connor." 2005, Carole Dillane Krajeski, 99% of the Time, →ISBN, page 270:
3. (dated, literally) To tell someone the time of day by looking at one's wristwatch, etc.

Forms

Relateds

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

Translations (9)

pl zwracać na kogoś uwagę (to acknowledge somebody) · fi tervehtiä (to acknowledge somebody) · es dar pelota / piola (to acknowledge somebody) · es dar bola (to acknowledge somebody) · es parar bolas (to acknowledge somebody) · pl zwrócić na kogoś uwagę (to acknowledge somebody) · es poner bolas (to acknowledge somebody) · fi sanoa päivää (to acknowledge somebody) · es parar bola (to acknowledge somebody)