Compilation of Idioms on the Topic Time and History for IELTS Speaking
08 September, 2023IELTS idioms
Continuing the Idioms series for IELTS Speaking, in this article, azVocab will introduce two topics, Time and History, which have been frequently appearing recently.
TIME
The Time topic is also a common one in the IELTS Speaking test. Let’s practice speaking fluently on this topic with the provided idioms.
| IDIOMS | MEANING | EXAMPLE |
| Against the clock | if you do something against the clock, you do it as fast as possible and try to finish it before a certain time | They have to finish this report by 9 o’clock tonight, so they’re really working against the clock. |
| Ahead of the curve | ahead of current thinking or trends | Our library was brand new and way ahead of the curve with the latest books and facilities. |
| Better late than never | it is better for someone or something to be late than never to arrive or to happen | A: “Sorry I was late for the meeting today, I got stuck in traffic.” B: “That’s okay, better late than never.” |
| In broad daylight | if a crime is committed in broad daylight, it happens during the day, when it could have been seen and prevented | Thieves had broken into the house in broad daylight. |
| In no time | very quickly | If we all work together on the project, I believe we will be able to complete it in no time. |
| In the nick of time | at the last possible moment | You have to catch the ball in the nick of time, otherwise, you cannot win the game. |
| By/in leaps and bounds | with startlingly rapid progress | After the summer, I planted some seedlings, and they have grown by leaps and bounds. |
| Let bygones be bygones | to forgive and forget past causes of ill-feeling | Whenever I think about how he treated me at that time, I’m not happy at all; but I’m willing to let bygones be bygones. |
| Pressed for time | to be in a hurry | But since we are mostly pressed for time in the morning, a lavish breakfast becomes an impossible idea most of the time |
| The right time for something | in the best position or place to take advantage of an opportunity | Why this is the right time for 5G in India |
| The time is ripe | if you say that the time is ripe, you mean that it is a suitable point for a particular activity | The time is ripe for take part in IELTS exams |
| Third time’s a charm | the belief or hope that the third attempt at something will be successful | I’ve failed this test twice already, so hopefully the third time’s a charm. |
| Time and tide wait for no man | said to emphasize that people cannot stop the passing of time, and therefore should not delay doing things | You’ve had so many chances to a master’s degree, but you never get around to applying for any of them. Time and tide wait for no man, boy. |
| Time is money | said to emphasize that you should not waste time, because you could be using it to earn money | My dad believes that time is money, so he never really liked to sit back, relax, and do nothing – he always needed some project to be working on. |
| Time is a great healer | a painful or difficult situation will seem less bad as time passes | I know it’s hard to consider now, as you’re grieving, but time is a great healer. |
| Watch the clock | to often notice the time and wish that it was later, especially when you are doing work that you do not like | On Friday afternoons at work, all I do is watch the clock. |
| Without further ado | without any fuss or delay; immediately | Without further ado, we would like to introduce our new Students Council President – Jenny! |
| To be light years away | from a very long time in the past, or it takes a long time to reach the goal in the future | It all happened when I was at college, which seems light years away. |
| (Right) off the bat | immediately | Right off the bat, I could tell that the plan had no chance of success. |
| A flash in the pan | something that happened only once or for a short time and was not repeated | Sadly, their success was just a flash in the pan. |
| Ahead of time | in advance | We had a date for lunch, and I said I’d call her ahead of time to decide where. |
| At this moment in time | now; at the present moment | I can give no information at this moment in time. |
| Come/follow hard/hot on the heels of something | to happen very soon after something | The new revelation comes hard on the heels of the previous scandal. |
| Cut it/things fine | to allow very little time for something | She got to the gate ten minutes before her flight, so she was cutting it very fine. |
| Down the line | in the future | If you don’t do your homework now, it’ll be a problem down the line when you don’t know the material for the exam. |
| From time to time | sometimes | From time to time, I like to go fishing instead of going to work. |
| From/since the year dot | for an extremely long time | My grandmother says that she’s loved cooking from the year dot, and she makes many delicious meals for us. |
| How time flies! | time seems to move very or more quickly | Wow, it’s midnight already? I feel like we just got here. How time flies! |
| In the dead of night | in the middle of night/winter | Why are you calling me in the dead of night? Can’t this wait till morning? |
| In the long run | at a time that is far away in the future | Cutting jobs could be more expensive in the long run if we have to hire freelancers. |
| In the twinkling of an eye | immediately; very quickly; at once | Don’t worry, boss, I’ll have this report typed up in the twinkling of an eye! |
| Nine times out of ten | almost every time | A: “Do people always pay extra to get the combo meal?”B: “Nine times out of ten.” |
| Light years away from (something) | very far away in time from some point or milestone, usually said of something that is unlikely to happen in the near future | We’re still light years away from a technological advancement like that. |
| Once in a blue moon | not very often | My sister lives in Alaska, so I only see her once in a blue moon. |
| Once in a lifetime | extremely rare | Chances like this only ever come around once in a lifetime, Jack, so don’t waste it. |
| Round the clock | all day and all night without stopping | He studied round the clock, losing forty pounds during that time. |
| The eleventh hour | the last moment or almost too late | I was shocked that they reached an agreement at the eleventh hour after weeks of squabbling. |
| Then and there = there and then | immediately | Mark made a derogatory comment toward one of our coworkers, and the boss fired him right then and there. |
| Until/till the cows come home | for a very long time | I could sit here and argue with you till the cows come home, but it wouldn’t solve anything. |
| Up-to-the-minute | the very latest or most recent | I want to hear some up-to-the-minute news on the hostage situation. |
| Time will tell | you will discover in the future what the result of a present situation is | Time will tell whether we made the right decision. |
HISTORY
The History topic has only recently started appearing in IELTS Speaking tests. It is considered a challenging topic and is listed as one that should be prepared for a smooth-speaking test. Below, azVocab suggests some idioms for you to consider for this topic.
| IDIOMS | MEANING | EXAMPLE |
| A thing of the past | something that no longer exists | Those stores are a thing of the past – their parent company filed bankruptcy a few years ago. |
| Behind the times | not aware of or using the latest ideas or techniques; out of date | Sarah is a bit behind the times. Her clothes are quite old-fashioned. |
| Go down in history | to do something historically significant; to do something important that will be remembered and recorded for a long time | He’ll go down in history as one of our finest leaders. |
| Hark back to something | to have originated as something; to have started out as something | Our modern breakfast cereals hark back to the porridge and gruel of our ancestors.g |
| History in the making | a current event that will prove to be of historical importance | The Black Lives Matter movement is history in the making. |
| The rest is history | everyone knows how the rest of the story goes | The Beatles had their first hit record in 1962 and the rest is history. |
| Turn back the hands of time | go back into the past | He wishes he could turn back the hands of time and fix his mistakes. |
| Follow in one’s footsteps | to do the same thing as someone else did previously | She followed in her mother’s footsteps, starting her own business. |
| The good old days | a past period of better times | Ah, those were the good old days. Did you know I was captain of the football team back then? |
| Through thick and thin | through good and bad times | She’s always been there for me through thick and thin, so I can’t turn my back on her now. |
| When someone was a (mere) twinkle in their father’s eye | at a time before someone was born | I never knew my grandparents; they died when I was just a twinkle in my father’s eye. |
Hopefully, through this article, azVocab can help you prepare enough idiomatic expressions for the IELTS Speaking test on the topics of Time and History. Study diligently and reap good results in the upcoming test!
