60 Time: once in a blue moon

A

B

C Informal expressions relating to time

We only meet once in a blue moon. [very infrequently] He’s spent all his born days in the village. [all his life] I’ll be with you in a mo / in a sec / in a tick / in less than no time / in a jiffy. [very soon] (mo and sec are short for ‘moment’ and ‘second’) Clive’s been working here for donkey’s years / since the

year dot. [for a long time] We can talk about this till the cows come home, but I’m not going to change my mind. [for ever] Are you sure she gave you the book for keeps / for good? [to keep for ever] She turned up just in the nick of time – she very nearly missed the train. [only just in time] He was a famous athlete but now he’s over the hill / past it. [too old] She was a child film star but was already a has-been by the age of 20. [person who is no longer famous] Sue did her homework in a flash / at a rate of knots. [very quickly]

Adjectives relating to the passing of time

adjective meaning

common collocations fleeting brief or quick glimpse, visit, smile, moment, appearance lengthy continuing for a long time process, investigation, discussions, negotiations, delays transient lasting for only a short time; formal effect, population, feeling, pleasure persistent lasting for a long time or hard to stop or get rid of cough, problems, rumour, smell, accusations, critic, offender, failure, gossip inexorable continuing without hope of being stopped; formal rise, slide, decline, pressure, advance of time incipient just beginning; formal panic, rage, rebellion, stages, wrinkles, dementia protracted lasting for a long time or made to last longer; formal negotiations, discussions, argument lingering taking a long time to leave or disappear perfume, kiss, smile

Other useful time words

Terrorists carried out simultaneous attacks on three places in the capital. [happening at the same time] Schools were closed for the duration of the President’s visit. [amount of time that it lasted] We shouldn’t prolong the meeting; we’ve already discussed the matter for an hour. [make it

last longer] I’m sorry, I can’t change the date at such short notice. [just a short time before it is due to happen] The teacher repeatedly warned the student that she would fail her exam. [many times]

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60.2

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60.5

Put the words in the correct order to make sentences.

1 since / they’ve / same / living / the / house / year / the / been / in / dot 2 you / sec / I’ll / with / a / in / be 3 to / keeps / Magda / it / John / for / gave 4 no / we / time / in / together / get / less / can / done / it / than 5 never / all / he’s / his / been / than / nearest / born / town / further / days / in / the 6 nick / we / hospital / got / in / to / time / the / of / the

Which of the adjectives in B would you be most likely to use to describe the following?

1 a scent that remains in the room after its wearer has left 2 a feeling of joy that is short-lived 3 criticism that seems to go on and on 4 a headache that is beginning 5 a process that takes a long time 6 the never-ending ageing process – you can’t stop its progress 7 a grin that lasts only for a moment 8 an investigation that takes a long time to complete

Match the adjectives on the left with the words on the right to make collocations.

1 lingering a events 2 fleeting b population 3 incipient c glimpse 4 inexorable d smile 5 persistent e peace negotiations 6 simultaneous f refusal 7 protracted g stages 8 transient h advance of time

Rewrite these sentences so that they keep the same meaning, using a form of the word in brackets.

1 We’ll be ready to leave in a mo. (less) 2 Most of the members of the band may be in their sixties, but they’re certainly not past it. (hill) 3 You can argue with him for ever, but he’ll never see sense. (cow) 4 Harry promised he’d get here at a rate of knots and he kept his word. (flash) 5 I’ve told her many times not to phone me at work. (repeat) 6 The two events happened at the same moment. (simultaneous) 7 The hotel staff were very good; they let me cancel the reservation just a short time before. (notice) 8 I didn’t want to make the meeting last longer. (long) 9 He had his moment of fame. Now he’s no longer famous. (be) 10 The press were excluded during the delicate negotiations. (duration)

Over to you

• Would you like to work for the same company for donkey’s years? • What could you personally do happily till the cows come home? • Do you think it’s a good thing to spend all your born days in one place? • Can you think of something that you do once in a blue moon?