# give the time of day

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/give-the-time-of-day
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

To acknowledge someone; to give someone respect or attention; to tip one's hat.

## Examples

- He is so arrogant that he won't give me the time of day.
- The busy clerk does not give customers the time of day.
- Do you think she will give me the time of day at the party?
- Despite my repeated attempts to apologize, she refused to give me the time of day.
- Ever since the manager promoted his nephew, he does not give the rest of the team the time of day during lunch breaks.
- I tried to ask my neighbor for help with the fence, but he barely gave me the time of day before walking inside.
- The celebrity walked past the crowd of reporters without giving any of them the time of day, clearly annoyed by their constant presence.

## Origin

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.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.