"give the time of day" meaning in English

See give the time of day in All languages combined, or Wiktionary

Verb

Audio: en-au-give the time of day.ogg [Australia] Forms: gives the time of day [present, singular, third-person], giving the time of day [participle, present], gave the time of day [past], given the time of day [participle, past]
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. Etymology templates: {{m|en|good morning}} good morning, {{m|en|good afternoon}} good afternoon, {{m|en|good evening}} good evening Head templates: {{en-verb|give<,,gave,given> the time of day}} give the time of day (third-person singular simple present gives the time of day, present participle giving the time of day, simple past gave the time of day, past participle given the time of day)
  1. (idiomatic) To acknowledge someone; to give someone respect or attention; to tip one's hat. Tags: idiomatic Translations (to acknowledge somebody): sanoa päivää (Finnish), tervehtiä (Finnish)
    Sense id: en-give_the_time_of_day-en-verb-Z4nJaJCJ Disambiguation of 'to acknowledge somebody': 54 39 7
  2. (idiomatic, in the negative) To not acknowledge someone; to snub someone; to disrespect someone; to ignore someone. Tags: idiomatic, in the negative
    Sense id: en-give_the_time_of_day-en-verb-bKW~qx2s
  3. (literally, dated) To tell someone the time of day by looking at one's wristwatch, etc. Tags: dated, literally Related terms: give someone the time
    Sense id: en-give_the_time_of_day-en-verb-ZceESC7k

Download JSON data for give the time of day meaning in English (3.7kB)

{
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "good morning"
      },
      "expansion": "good morning",
      "name": "m"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "good afternoon"
      },
      "expansion": "good afternoon",
      "name": "m"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "good evening"
      },
      "expansion": "good evening",
      "name": "m"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "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.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "gives the time of day",
      "tags": [
        "present",
        "singular",
        "third-person"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "giving the time of day",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "present"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "gave the time of day",
      "tags": [
        "past"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "given the time of day",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "past"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "give<,,gave,given> the time of day"
      },
      "expansion": "give the time of day (third-person singular simple present gives the time of day, present participle giving the time of day, simple past gave the time of day, past participle given the time of day)",
      "name": "en-verb"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "verb",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "If you're lucky, she might give you the time of day.",
          "type": "example"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To acknowledge someone; to give someone respect or attention; to tip one's hat."
      ],
      "id": "en-give_the_time_of_day-en-verb-Z4nJaJCJ",
      "links": [
        [
          "acknowledge",
          "acknowledge"
        ],
        [
          "respect",
          "respect"
        ],
        [
          "attention",
          "attention"
        ],
        [
          "tip one's hat",
          "tip one's hat"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(idiomatic) To acknowledge someone; to give someone respect or attention; to tip one's hat."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "idiomatic"
      ],
      "translations": [
        {
          "_dis1": "54 39 7",
          "code": "fi",
          "lang": "Finnish",
          "sense": "to acknowledge somebody",
          "word": "sanoa päivää"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "54 39 7",
          "code": "fi",
          "lang": "Finnish",
          "sense": "to acknowledge somebody",
          "word": "tervehtiä"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "He won't give the time of day to someone like you or me.",
          "type": "example"
        },
        {
          "text": "I tried to say \"hi\", but she wouldn't give me the time of day.",
          "type": "example"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2005, Carole Dillane Krajeski, 99% of the Time, page 270",
          "text": "\"Daddy, please,\" Leanne laughed, \"Give Linds a little credit. She wouldn't give the time of day to someone like Connor.\"",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To not acknowledge someone; to snub someone; to disrespect someone; to ignore someone."
      ],
      "id": "en-give_the_time_of_day-en-verb-bKW~qx2s",
      "links": [
        [
          "acknowledge",
          "acknowledge"
        ],
        [
          "snub",
          "snub"
        ],
        [
          "disrespect",
          "disrespect"
        ],
        [
          "ignore",
          "ignore"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(idiomatic, in the negative) To not acknowledge someone; to snub someone; to disrespect someone; to ignore someone."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "idiomatic",
        "in the negative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [],
      "glosses": [
        "To tell someone the time of day by looking at one's wristwatch, etc."
      ],
      "id": "en-give_the_time_of_day-en-verb-ZceESC7k",
      "links": [
        [
          "time of day",
          "time of day"
        ],
        [
          "wristwatch",
          "wristwatch"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(literally, dated) To tell someone the time of day by looking at one's wristwatch, etc."
      ],
      "related": [
        {
          "_dis1": "2 0 97",
          "word": "give someone the time"
        }
      ],
      "tags": [
        "dated",
        "literally"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "audio": "en-au-give the time of day.ogg",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/4/40/En-au-give_the_time_of_day.ogg/En-au-give_the_time_of_day.ogg.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/40/En-au-give_the_time_of_day.ogg",
      "tags": [
        "Australia"
      ],
      "text": "Audio (AU)"
    }
  ],
  "word": "give the time of day"
}
{
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "good morning"
      },
      "expansion": "good morning",
      "name": "m"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "good afternoon"
      },
      "expansion": "good afternoon",
      "name": "m"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "good evening"
      },
      "expansion": "good evening",
      "name": "m"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "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.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "gives the time of day",
      "tags": [
        "present",
        "singular",
        "third-person"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "giving the time of day",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "present"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "gave the time of day",
      "tags": [
        "past"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "given the time of day",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "past"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "give<,,gave,given> the time of day"
      },
      "expansion": "give the time of day (third-person singular simple present gives the time of day, present participle giving the time of day, simple past gave the time of day, past participle given the time of day)",
      "name": "en-verb"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "verb",
  "related": [
    {
      "word": "give someone the time"
    }
  ],
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        "English idioms",
        "English terms with usage examples"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "If you're lucky, she might give you the time of day.",
          "type": "example"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To acknowledge someone; to give someone respect or attention; to tip one's hat."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "acknowledge",
          "acknowledge"
        ],
        [
          "respect",
          "respect"
        ],
        [
          "attention",
          "attention"
        ],
        [
          "tip one's hat",
          "tip one's hat"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(idiomatic) To acknowledge someone; to give someone respect or attention; to tip one's hat."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "idiomatic"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "English idioms",
        "English terms with quotations",
        "English terms with usage examples"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "He won't give the time of day to someone like you or me.",
          "type": "example"
        },
        {
          "text": "I tried to say \"hi\", but she wouldn't give me the time of day.",
          "type": "example"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2005, Carole Dillane Krajeski, 99% of the Time, page 270",
          "text": "\"Daddy, please,\" Leanne laughed, \"Give Linds a little credit. She wouldn't give the time of day to someone like Connor.\"",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To not acknowledge someone; to snub someone; to disrespect someone; to ignore someone."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "acknowledge",
          "acknowledge"
        ],
        [
          "snub",
          "snub"
        ],
        [
          "disrespect",
          "disrespect"
        ],
        [
          "ignore",
          "ignore"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(idiomatic, in the negative) To not acknowledge someone; to snub someone; to disrespect someone; to ignore someone."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "idiomatic",
        "in the negative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "English dated terms"
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To tell someone the time of day by looking at one's wristwatch, etc."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "time of day",
          "time of day"
        ],
        [
          "wristwatch",
          "wristwatch"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(literally, dated) To tell someone the time of day by looking at one's wristwatch, etc."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "dated",
        "literally"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "audio": "en-au-give the time of day.ogg",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/4/40/En-au-give_the_time_of_day.ogg/En-au-give_the_time_of_day.ogg.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/40/En-au-give_the_time_of_day.ogg",
      "tags": [
        "Australia"
      ],
      "text": "Audio (AU)"
    }
  ],
  "translations": [
    {
      "code": "fi",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "sense": "to acknowledge somebody",
      "word": "sanoa päivää"
    },
    {
      "code": "fi",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "sense": "to acknowledge somebody",
      "word": "tervehtiä"
    }
  ],
  "word": "give the time of day"
}

This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2024-03-12 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2024-03-01 using wiktextract (68773ab and 5f6ddbb). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.

If you use this data in academic research, please cite Tatu Ylonen: Wiktextract: Wiktionary as Machine-Readable Structured Data, Proceedings of the 13th Conference on Language Resources and Evaluation (LREC), pp. 1317-1325, Marseille, 20-25 June 2022. Linking to the relevant page(s) under https://kaikki.org would also be greatly appreciated.