Master Time Management, Urgency, and Procrastination with These Common Idioms
Time is a valuable resource, and English is filled with idioms that reflect just how important it is. Whether managing deadlines, dealing with pressure, or fighting the urge to procrastinate, these time-related idioms can help your students to express themselves clearly and effectively.
If you’re in a rush, you might be working ‘against the clock,’ meaning you have limited time to finish something. For example, ‘I was working against the clock to submit my assignment before midnight.’ On the other hand, if you keep delaying your work, you may be someone who ‘drags their feet’—someone who procrastinates or works too slowly.
For those who excel at time management, the phrase ‘beat the clock’ is a perfect fit. It refers to completing a task before a set deadline. For instance, ‘I managed to beat the clock and finish the project before the meeting started.’
Another useful idiom is ‘in the nick of time,’ meaning you did something just before it was too late. Imagine arriving at the train station and entering the train just as the doors are closing—that’s arriving in the nick of time.
Lastly, be careful not to ‘kill time’ too often. While this phrase refers to passing time with unproductive activities, overdoing it can lead to unfinished tasks and missed deadlines.
By teaching these idioms, your students will be better equipped to describe their time management skills, meet deadlines, and even laugh about those moments when they were scrambling to finish something just in the nick of time!
