UNIVERZA V MARIBORU FILOZOFSKA FAKULTETA Oddelek Za Prevodoslovje

UNIVERZA V MARIBORU FILOZOFSKA FAKULTETA Oddelek za prevodoslovje

DIPLOMSKO DELO

Nika Verhovnik

Maribor, 2011

UNIVERZA V MARIBORU FILOZOFSKA FAKULTETA Oddelek za prevodoslovje

Diplomsko delo

ČASOVNI IDIOMI V ANGLEŠČINI IN NJIHOVE SLOVENSKE USTREZNICE

Diploma paper

IDIOMS DENOTING TIME AND THEIR SLOVENE EQUIVALENTS

Mentorica: Kandidatka: red. prof. dr. Nada Šabec Nika Verhovnik

Maribor, 2011

Lektorica: Polonca Zlodej, prof. slo. in pthv

“Language is a city to the building of which every human being brought a stone.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I would like to express my gratitude towards my mentor Prof. Nada Šabec, Ph.D., for all her help, valuable advice, guidance and assistance.

I would like to express a special thanks and appreciation to my family for all their support.

IZJAVA

Podpisana Nika Verhovnik, rojena 7. 10. 1984, študentka Filozofske fakultete Univerze v

Mariboru, smer Prevajanje in tolmačenje angleščina ter slovenski jezik s knjiţevnostjo, izjavljam, da je diplomsko delo z naslovom ČASOVNI IDIOMI V ANGLEŠČINI IN

NJIHOVE SLOVENSKE USTREZNICE pri mentorici red. prof. dr. Nadi Šabec, avtorsko delo.

V diplomskem delu so uporabljeni viri in literatura korektno navedeni; teksti niso prepisani brez navedbe avtorjev.

______(podpis študenta-ke)

Kraj, Maribor

Datum, 24. 6. 2011

ABSTRACT

The English language is very rich with idiomatic expressions, which represent an essential part of it and are therefore very difficult for the foreign learners to master. Idiomatic phrases are fixed groups of words whose meaning is in most cases not deductible from the meanings of its separate words and they cannot be changed or varied, whether in speech or writing. Most of these expressions are phrases of two or more words and many of them belong to informal, spoken English rather than to formal, written language. I decided to limit my research to idiomatic expressions denoting time. I collected 253 idioms and translated them into Slovene language. All idioms are explained and used in context. My purpose was to find out how similar the Slovene and English language are in as far as time phraseology is concerned. I divided all idioms into three groups according to the way they are translated. The analysis has shown that the largest group of idioms is the group of English idioms with no equivalents in Slovene. The main reasons are different historical, cultural and social backgrounds. In addition, geographical features may play a role in this too. In the second place is the group of idioms that have the same meaning, but a different structure in English and Slovene. Slovene generally has fewer idiomatic phrases than English. It is for this reason that English idioms often have to be translated into Slovene in a descriptive way rather than by idiomatic equivalents.

Key words: idioms, phraseology, time, cultural differences, Slovene equivalents.

POVZETEK

Angleški jezik vsebuje veliko idiomov, ki predstavljajo pomemben del jezika, zato je to področje zelo zahtevno in teţko osvojljivo. Idiomatični izrazi so natančno določeni in nespremenljivi. Njihovega pomena največkrat ni mogoče izpeljati iz pomena posameznih besed v idiomu, njihovih elementov pa ni dovoljeno poljubno spreminjati ne v govornem ne v pisnem jeziku. Največkrat so sestavljeni iz dveh ali več besed, pogosteje kot v uradnem angleškem pisnem jeziku pa se pojavljajo v neuradnem govornem. V tem diplomskem delu smo se v raziskovanju idiomov osredotočili zgolj na časovne idiome. Zbranih in predstavljenih je 253 idiomov, ki so hkrati prevedeni v slovenski jezik. Idiomi niso le predstavljeni in podkrepljeni z razlago, temveč so razloţeni tudi s primeri. Namen diplomskega dela je bil ugotoviti, v kolikšni meri sta si v časovni terminologiji slovenščina in angleščina podobni. Idiome smo razvrstili v tri skupine, in sicer glede na njihovo prevedljivost. Analiza je pokazala, da največjo skupino idiomov predstavlja skupina angleških idiomov, ki glede na pomen v slovenskem jeziku nimajo ustreznic. Razloge za to je moč najti v različnih zgodovinskih, kulturnih in socialnih ozadjih. Tudi geografske značilnosti igrajo pri tem pomembno vlogo. Sledi skupina angleških idiomov, ki imajo ustreznice z istim pomenom in drugačnim zapisom v slovenskem jeziku. Na splošno slovenski jezik ne premore toliko idiomatičnih izrazov kot angleški. V ta namen je potrebno angleške idiome v slovenščino velikokrat prevesti opisno.

Ključne besede: idiomi, frazeologija, čas, kulturne razlike, slovenske ustreznice.

CONTENTS

1 INTRODUCTION ...... 1 2 CHARACTERISTICS OF IDIOMS ...... 3 2.1 Definitions of idioms ...... 3 2.2 Classification of idioms...... 5 3 RESEARCH DESIGN ...... 6 3. 1 Methodology ...... 6 3. 2 Data presentation ...... 7 4 IDIOMS DENOTING TIME AND THEIR SLOVENE EQUIVALENTS . 11 4. 1 Day ...... 12 4. 2 Hour ...... 27 4. 3 Minute ...... 31 4. 4 Moment ...... 32 4. 5 Night ...... 36 4. 6 Time ...... 40 5 DATA ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION ...... 60 5.1 Idioms denoting time that are identical in English and Slovene ...... 62 5.2 Idioms with the same meaning, but a different structure in English and Slovene ...... 66 5.3 English idioms denoting time with no Slovene equivalents ...... 70 6 CONCLUSION ...... 76 BIBLIOGRAPHY ...... 78

APPENDICES

APPENDIX I: OTHER FIXED EXPRESSIONS DENOTING TIME - Appendix A: COLLOCATIONS - Appendix B: PROVERBS

LIST OF GRAPHS

Graph 1: Classification of idioms denoting time into six groups ...... 60 Graph 2: Groups of idioms according to the way idioms are translated ...... 61 Graph 3: Comparison of idioms denoting time that are identical in English and Slovene and other idioms denoting time ...... 63 Graph 4: Comparison of idioms with the same meaning, but a different structure in English and Slovene and other idioms denoting time ...... 67 Graph 5: Comparison of English idioms denoting time with no Slovene equivalents and other idioms denoting time...... 70

LIST OF TABLES

Table 1: Classification of individual groups of idioms into three groups according to the way idioms are translated ...... 62 Table 2: Idioms denoting time that are identical in English and Slovene...... 66 Table 3: Idioms with the same meaning, but a different structure in English and Slovene ...... 70 Table 4: English idioms denoting time with no Slovene equivalents ...... 75

iii

1 INTRODUCTION

Idiomatic expressions represent a very important part of every language. They form an important part of our everyday lives. As well as using them in our own speech and writing, we can see them all around us: in advertisements, book titles, shop and restaurant names and many other places. To be able to say that one masters a (foreign) language, he or she must know how to use idioms in that language correctly. This means one must use the appropriate idioms in appropriate contexts and be able to master as many of them as possible.

The number of idiomatic expressions we usually use is rather small in comparison with all the idiomatic expressions that exist in a certain language. We cannot guess the meaning of idioms based on their components because they are used in metaphorical sense, and we therefore need to learn them by heart. When using idioms, different social and cultural backgrounds must be taken into account, e.g. where one is from, otherwise we could express ourselves wrongly or achieve even the opposite of what we want. Therefore, we must be very careful when translating idioms from one language to another. It is difficult to translate idioms into Slovene language due to the fact that we still don't have a complete dictionary of Slovene idioms and also because idioms are language-specific.

Idioms give a certain freshness and richness to the language and I have been interested in them for as long as I can remember. These specific phrases actually inspired me to the extent that I decided to write about them in my diploma paper. There are however so many types of idioms, that it was difficult to decide which of them I would incorporate in my research. I looked up the idioms in several dictionaries and finally decided on idioms denoting time. Time is a frequent topic in everyday conversation and that results in many idioms and other fixed phrases like proverbs etc.

In the first part of my diploma paper, the definitions of idioms from various dictionaries are given. Methodology and data presentation are also included. In the second part, the empirical part of my paper, I first collected English idioms from different dictionaries containing idioms denoting time. I classified them into six groups, which were identical to those stated in the book English Idioms - A fifth edition of English Idioms and How to use them by authors Jennifer Seidl and W. McMordie (1997). Then I tried to find their Slovene equivalents. Empirical part consists of 253 English idioms which are compared with Slovene equivalents. Because I was interested in the similarity of idiomatic expressions in both languages, I decided to make the analysis of all idioms and their translations. I performed the analysis by dividing idioms into three groups according to the way they are translated; the first group are those idioms denoting time that are identical in English and Slovene; the second group are idioms with the same meaning, but a different structure in English and Slovene; and the last but not least is the group of English idioms denoting time with no Slovene equivalents.

The interpretation of results is given at the end of my diploma paper. The purpose of my paper is of practical nature, namely to collect this specific group of idioms in one place and to help improve their translations.

2 CHARACTERISTICS OF IDIOMS

2.1 Definitions of idioms

There is no uniform definition of an idiom, only several more or less similar definitions. For better understanding of the phenomenon, definitions from different sources should be examined.

Gabrovšek (2005: 96) defines idioms as sequences of words which are semantically and often syntactically restricted, so that they function as single units. The term usually refers to strings of more than one word whose syntactic, lexical, and phonological form is to a greater or lesser degree fixed and whose semantics, pragmatic functions are opaque and specialized, also to a greater or lesser degree.

Collins Cobuild Pocket Idioms Dictionary states that "an idiom is a special kind of phrase. It is a group of words which have a different meaning when used together from the one it would have if the meaning of each word were taken individually. For example, bite someone's head off means to speak to them in an unpleasant, angry way: it has nothing to do with causing them physical harm." (Collins, 1996, p. IV)

According to Cambridge International Dictionary of Idioms (1998), idioms are a colourful and fascinating aspect of English. They are commonly used in all types of language, informal and formal, spoken and written. Idioms often have a stronger meaning than non-idiomatic phrases and it is often impossible to guess the meaning of an idiom from the words it contains. Idioms may also suggest a particular attitude of the person using them, for example disapproval, humour, exasperation or admiration, so you must use them carefully.

Longman Dictionary of English Language (1980) defines an idiom as a fixed group of words with a special different meaning from the meaning of the separate words. Idioms are expressions that are, in a very broad sense, metaphorical rather than literal. Because they are metaphorical, one usually cannot decipher their meaning by looking up the individual words in an ordinary dictionary. They are also more or less invariable or fixed in form, so they cannot be changed or varied, whether in speech or writing. These expressions, or idioms, tend to have other characteristics in common, although these do not apply generally to every case. Most of these expressions are phrases of two or more words and many of them belong to informal spoken English rather than to formal written English.

The word 'idiom' is used to describe the 'special phrases' that are an essential part of a language. Idioms may be 'special' in different ways: for example, the expression to kick the bucket seems to follow the normal rules of grammar, although we cannot say „kick a bucket‟ or „kick the buckets‟, but it is impossible to guess that it means „to die‟. (Warren, 1994)

If we sum up the definitions we see that idioms are non-literal or metaphorical expressions, composed of more than one word. They are not common only in spoken language but also in written. They are fixed in form and the meaning of the whole lexeme cannot be derived from its parts. Therefore idioms must be learnt by heart as a whole and we cannot make up our own.

Idioms can be easily confused with collocations; therefore we should be aware of the difference between these two terms. Dušan Gabrovšek writes that there are a number of types of multiword units - significant word combinations. There are three basic types of them: compounds, collocations and fixed expressions. The last type, fixed expressions is defined as combinations of words which regularly occur together. First of all, idioms and other forms like sayings, proverbs, metaphors, similes, allusions, slogan, mottos, clichés, catch phrases, binominals, trinominals, and phrasal verbs. They are all multi-word (phraseological) lexical items.

The term collocation refers to combinations of two lexical items each of which makes a distinct semantic contribution, belongs to a different word class and shows a restricted range. The first three criteria used (two items, not more; two lexical items, not grammatical words, independent meanings) distinguish collocations from other word combinations, such as idioms or proverbs, while the last two (word class and range) distinguish the central type (collocation: drink heavily) from other lexical combinations. Each lexeme makes an independent contribution to the meaning of the whole collocation.

2.2 Classification of idioms

According to Seidl (1997: 13), idioms take many different forms or structures. Some of them are very short, while others can be rather long. Idioms can have a regular structure, an irregular or even grammatically incorrect structure. The clarity of the meaning does not depend on the „grammatical‟ structure. According to their structure and meaning, Seidl distinguishes three groups of idioms:

1. Form is irregular, meaning is clear: green with envy 2. Form is regular, meaning is unclear: to bring the house down 3. Form is irregular, meaning is unclear: to go great guns

Some idioms are clearer than others and the meaning can sometimes be guessed from the sentence. Some fixed idioms cannot be changed in any part, except the tense of the verb (to paint the town red). Others allow a different number of variants, i.e. a verb can be replaced with a different verb: be block and blue or beat somebody black and blue.

3 RESEARCH DESIGN

3. 1 Methodology

My research is primarily based on the description and the explanation of idioms and finding the appropriate Slovene equivalents. For that, I used Slovar slovenskega knjiţnega jezika (2002), Veliki angleško-slovenski slovar Oxford (2005:2006), Collins Cobuild Angleško-slovenski slovar Bridge (2000), Veliki angleško-slovenski slovar (1990), English Dictionary for speakers of Slovenian (1992), Frazeološki slovar slovenskega jezika – poskusni zvezek (2003) and Frazeološki slovar v petih jezikih (1960).

I relied on the definitions of idioms from the following dictionaries: Collins Cobuild Pocket Idioms Dictionary (1996), A second book of English Idioms with Explanations (1958), A third book of English Idioms with Explanations (1969), Collins Concise Dictionary (1993), Collins Plain English Dictionary (1996), Oxford dictionary of English idioms (1993), A concise Dictionary of English Idioms (1973), Longman Dictionary of English Idioms (1992), English Idioms and how to use them (1968), A Dictionary of Clichés (1979), English Idioms - A fifth edition of English Idioms and How to use them (1997), NTC's English idioms dictionary (1993), NTC's American idioms dictionary : the most practical reference for the everyday expressions of contemporary American English (2000), Oxford learner's dictionary of English idioms (1994), English idioms for foreign students (1975).

I then divided idioms into six groups, which were identical to those stated in the book English Idioms - A fifth edition of English Idioms and How to use them (Jennifer Seidl and W. McMordie, 1997). Each expression is alphabetized under the first word of the phrase, except the words a, an and the. After the first word, entry heads are alphabetized letter by letter.

In the end, I collected all the idioms and divided them in three groups according to the way in which they are translated; the first group are those idioms denoting time that are identical in English and Slovene; the second group are idioms with the same meaning, but a different structure in English and Slovene; and the last is the group of English idioms denoting time with no Slovene equivalents.

While collecting idioms denoting time, I came across some collocations and proverbs regarding this same topic. I found them very interesting and decided to include them into my paper as an appendix.

3. 2 Data presentation

The following pattern is used to present individual idioms.

STYLE: Many idioms have a general usage and therefore they are stylistically neutral. Some of them are suitable only in certain situations; they can also reflect the speaker's emotional state or convey his/her attitude towards persons or events involved. The following labels are used in my paper:  Formal: This label indicates that the speaker or writer has a rather distant relationship with the person or persons he is speaking or writing to. The setting is usually official and suggests a serious tone. Formal language is often used when people want to appear polite.  Informal: This label reflects an intimate rather than distant relationship. Such an idiom is not suitable for use in official settings but is used with friends, family or people you know in relaxed situations.  Colloquial: This label indicates that the expression is suitable for use in speech rather than in writing because written language is generally more formal.  Slang: this label indicates that the expression is suitable for use in speech rather than in writing. Slang expressions are used in the speech of specific sub-groups in society (criminals, students, teenagers, the military, etc.).

 Humorous: This label is intended to make the recipient laugh or be amused.  Old-fashioned: The idiom sounds out of date. It is likely to be used by older people.

DEFINITION: Definitions usually consist of a paraphrase of an idiom. Definitions of the idioms are copied from different dictionaries. Definitions make the meaning of idioms as clear as possible and may be illustrated by sample sentences.

EXAMPLE: All the idioms in my paper are used in sample sentences showing a typical use of idioms in recent British or American English and were taken from dictionaries.

SLOVENE EQUIVALENTS, SLOVENE TRANSLATION: Whenever it was possible, an adequate Slovene idiom was provided. Where there are Slovene equivalents they are given in Italics. When there was no Slovene equivalent, I translated them, taken into account the meaning. If there were more translations possible, all of them were given.

A „dictionary entry‟ is presented:

IDIOM [STYLE] Definition ○ Example ♦ Slovene equivalent/translation

USAGE (AE, BE): Some idioms are used only in British English and some only in American English. The abbreviations AE and BE stand therefore for the usage in American (AE) or British English (BE). As the majority or dictionaries I had used does not include information on AE or BE usage, I was not able to include this in my data presentation. In some cases the specific usage is evident from the fact that the dictionary is either of British or American English, yet in many cases the same idioms could be and are indeed found in both dictionaries.

ORIGIN: It is easier to understand the metaphorical meaning of some idioms if we know where they come from and how they came to mean what they do. Not all idioms in my paper have an explanation of their origin, therefore I decided not to include the origin in my data presentation. Yet, I believe that origin is of great importance when it comes to understanding idioms, therefore I am providing some examples for illustration purposes:

 Dog days – because the ancient Romans believed that the six of eight hottest days of the summer were caused by the Dog Star, Sirius‟ rising with the sun and adding its heat to the day. They called these days cuniculares dies – „dog days‟.

 Halcyon days – the original „halcyon days‟ were fifteen days in the spring – the seven days preceding the Vernal Equinox in March, the day itself, and the seven days following it. This is the brooding time of the „halcyon‟ or kingfisher and since its nest was supposed to float on the sea, the superstition arose that calm weather always prevailed at this time of the year.

 Nick of time – in medieval days a „tally‟ was used to register attendance in colleges and churches. The „tally‟ was a stick of wood and attendance was indicated by a „nick‟ or notch on it. The student or worshipper who arrived in time had his attendance „nicked‟ – and so arrived „in the nick of time‟.

 Nine days’ wonder – this expression originally referred to the novena of the Roman Catholic Church–and „novena‟ comes from the Latin novenas, meaning „nine each‟. The patron saint of each church is accorded a novena which lasts for nine days–during which time the image of the saint, relics and other sacred objects are paraded for the „wonder‟ or veneration of the worshippers.

 Red-letter day – in the early prayer books, the Saints‟ days and church festivals were printed in red ink. Some prayer books are still printed in this style and many calendars today have the Sundays and holidays indicated by red letters or figures. So, a „red-letter day‟, since it‟s a holiday, is one that we look forward to with pleasure or look back upon with joy.

 Salad days – This originates from the fact that when a person is young, s/he is „green‟ – and „greens‟ go into making a „salad‟.

4 IDIOMS DENOTING TIME AND THEIR SLOVENE EQUIVALENTS

I classified idioms into six groups, which were identical to those stated from English Idioms - A fifth edition of English Idioms and How to use them by authors Jennifer Seidl and W. McMordie (1997).

The following groups are stated in the same order as in the above mentioned book:

 DAY  HOUR  MINUTE  MOMENT  NIGHT  TIME

Each expression is alphabetized under the first word of the phrase, except the words a, an and the. After the first word, entry heads are alphabetized letter by letter. In the entry heads, the words someone and one stand for persons, and something stands for things.

An entry head may have one or more alternate forms. The alternate forms are preceded by „AND‟. Many of entry phrases have more than one major sense. These senses are numbered with numerals.

Some entries include instructions to look up some other phrase. For example: Scarcely have time to breath (See Hardly have time to breath)

4.1 Day

All day and every day Without change for a long period of time. ○ I have to be active. I couldn‟t just sit around all day and every day now I‟ve retired. ♦ (Čisto) vsak dan; iz dneva v dan; dan za dnem.

All hours (of the day and night) Very late in the night or very early in the morning. ○ Why do you always stay out until all hours of the day and night? ♦ Pozno/dolgo v noč.

All in a day’s work [Colloquial, often humorous] Part of what is expected; typical or normal (used to indicate that a difficulty, unlikely event etc., can be dealt with easily). ○ I don‟t particularly like to cook, but it‟s all in a day‟s work. ♦ Spadati zraven.

All the days of one‟s life [Formal] For as long as one will live, or has lived. ○ Looking at the cheering audience in front of him, he knew that, as old as he was, he would treasure this moment of triumph all the days of his remaining life. ♦ Vse ţive dni.

All the livelong day [Folksy] Throughout the day. ○ Bob just sat by the creek fishing, all the livelong day. ♦ Ves ljubi dan.

(As) clear as day Easy to see or understand; obvious. ○ Although it is written on the door as clear as day, people still don‟t realize that this room is private. ♦ Jasno kot beli dan; kristalno jasno.

(As) different as night and day Completely different. ○ Although Bobby and Billy are twins, they are as different as night and day. ♦ Biti kot noč in dan; razlikovati se kot noč in dan.

(As) happy as the day is long [Informal] Very happy, carefree. ○ Grandpa is as happy as the day is long helping the children to fly their kites. ♦ Radosten; neizmerno vesel; zelo vesel.

(As) honest as the day is long Very honest. ○ It‟s easy to say I should have doubted her story, but you ask anyone you like; they‟d all say that she‟s as honest as the day is long. ♦ Iskren; zelo pošten.

(As) merry as the day is long Very happy and carefree. ○ The little children are as merry as the day is long. ♦ Radosten; brezskrben; zelo vesel.

(As) plain as day 1. Very plain and simple. 2. Clear and understandable. ○ 1. Although his face was as plain as day, his smile made him look interesting and friendly. ○ 2. The lecture was as plain as day. No one had to ask questions. ♦ Jasen kot beli dan; razumljiv.

At the end of the day [Informal] When everything else has been taken into consideration (also literal). ○ At the end of the day you will have to decide where you want to live. ♦ Konec koncev; navsezadnje.

Be/take all day Take a long time, or too long a time (to do something). ○ „Are you going to take all day shaving?‟ she shouted to him through the bathroom door. ♦ Vzeti si čas; porabiti ves dan.

A black day (for someone) A day when something sad, unpleasant or disastrous happens (to someone). ○ It was a black day for this area when the local steel factory closed down. ♦ Črn dan; slab dan.

Call it a day [Informal] Choose/decide to stop (doing) something (e.g. a piece of work, a discussion) because one thinks it is a good time to stop. ○ The boss was mad because Tom called it a day at noon and went home. ♦ Zaključiti/končati (z delom) za tisti dan.

Carry the day AND Win the day [Informal] To be successful; to win a competition, argument, etc. ○ Senators in favour of cutting taxes carried the day. ♦ Zmagati, uspeti.

Count the days Know how many days must go by before some desired event, and count them off one by one until then; look forward to something with eagerness. ○ She‟s been counting the days since she found out about the party. She really wanted to go. ♦ Odštevati dneve.

Day after day Every day without a break; daily; for many days, one day after the other; all the time. ○ School's very boring this term. We do the same things day after day. ♦ Dan za dnem; iz dneva v dan.

Day and night AND Night and day All the time; without stopping; continuously. ○ The nurse was with her day and night. / The house is guarded night and day. ♦ Noč in dan; ves čas.

Day by day All the time; as the days pass. ○ Grandfather's making a wonderful recovery. His cheeks are getting rosier day by day! ♦ Iz dneva v dan.

A day late and a dollar short Action that was taken too late and too feeble to be of any use. ○ The government's attempts at reform were a day late and a dollar short. ♦ Premalo in prepozno.

Day in, day out AND Day in and day out Every single day without change or exception; on every day; for each day. ○ They eat nothing but vegetables, day in, day out. ♦ Dan za dnem; iz dneva v dan.

The day of reckoning [Formal] The time when good actions, successes, etc. or bad actions, failures, etc. will be made known and punished or rewarded. ○ Tomorrow is the day of reckoning; the accountant will tell me what my profits were and how much tax I will have to pay. ♦ (O posamezniku) dan sodbe; odločilni dan; usodni dan; dan D pog.

Day-to-day Daily; every day; common, ordinary. ○ They update their accounts on a day-to-day basis. ♦ Vsak dan; (vsako)dnevno; vsakdanji; tekoč.

The dog days 1. The period between early July and early September when the hot sultry weather of summer usually occurs in the northern hemisphere. 2. A period of stagnation or inactivity. ○ We'll know if they were successful if we continue to see them throughout the dog days of August and into the fall. ♦ Pasji dnevi; pasja vročina.

Don’t quit your day job! [Humorous] You are not very good at what you are doing, so you don‟t quit your regular job in hopes that you can support yourself doing this. ○ I saw your comedy act at the night club. Don‟t quit your day job! ♦ Drţati se redne sluţbe.

Fall on evil days Be unlucky; suffer misfortune; lose one‟s money, power etc. ○ The country failed to recover from the war and fell on evil days. ♦ Naleteti na slabe dneve; imeti smolo; začetek črnih dni/hudih časov.

For days on end [Informal] For many days, one after the other. ○ We kept on travelling for days on end. ♦ Non-stop; dan za dnem.

Forever and a day Forever. ○ We have enough money to last forever and a day. ♦ Za vse večne čase; za vekomaj; za vedno.

From day one The very beginning; the very first day. ○ She was unhappy with her new car from day one. ♦ Od vsega začetka (pogovorno).

From day to day On a daily basis; one day at a time; occasionally. ○ When you‟re poor, you live from day to day. ♦ Iz dneva v dan; vsak dan.

From this day forward AND From this day on AND From this day forth From today into the future. ○ I‟ll treasure your gift from this day forward. / We‟ll live in love and peace from this day on. ♦ Od danes (naprej); od zdaj; odslej.

Get the day off AND Get a day off AND Have the day off To have a day free from work. ○ The next time I get a day off, we‟ll go to the zoo. ♦ Dobiti/imeti prosto (dopust).

Halcyon days [Rather literal] Times that are remembered as being happy, contented, or perfect. ○ It was easier to live comfortably with only a small income during the halcyon days before the war. ♦ Vedri dnevi; srečni dnevi/časi.

Have a field day [Informal] To enjoy oneself very much by doing something that one gets great pleasure from; to experience freedom from one‟s usual work schedule; to have a wild time. ○ The boss was gone and he had a field day today. No one got anything done. ♦ Dati si duška.

Have had one‟s/its day [Informal] To be no longer useful, powerful or successful; be no longer in fashion or in demand. ○ Some people think that radio has had its day, but others prefer it to television. ♦ Odsluţiti; biti v zatonu.

Have one‟s day To be what one wants; be successful, powerful, victorious, especially after being unlucky or without success. ○ I don‟t believe in loading youngsters with responsibilities. Let them have their day I say. The world will close in on them soon enough. ♦ Imeti svoj dan.

Have seen/known better days [Informal] Be in a worse condition than in the past; to be worn or worn out. ○ This coat has seen better days. I need a new one. ♦ Videti/poznati boljše čase.

Have the day off (See Get the day off, p.18)

High days and holidays Holidays or other special occasions. ○ I only wear these clothes on high days and holidays. ♦ Ob posebnih priloţnostih; za posebne priloţnosti.

In all one‟s born days [Informal, rather old-fashioned] Ever; in all one‟s life. ○ I‟ve never been so angry in all my born days. ♦ Svoj ţivi dan; v svojih ţivih dneh; v (vsem) svojem ţivljenju.

In days of old/yore [Formal] A long time ago; in ancient times; the remote past. ○ In days of yore people believed in dragons. ♦ V starih časih; nekoč.

In one‟s salad days [Formal] In one‟s youth. (Comparing the greenness of a salad with greenness, or freshness and inexperience, of youth.) ○ I recall the joys I experienced in the warm summer air in my salad days. ♦ V telečjih letih (šaljivo); v mladosti; v mladih letih.

In the cold light of day When matters can be looked at calmly and logically. (Used when this is likely to spoil an idea or plan.) ○ In the cold light of day, the plans they had made seemed foolish. ♦ Po (tehtnem) premisleku.

In this day and age [Informal] Presently; currently; nowadays; in these modern times. ○ You don‟t expect people to be polite in this day and age. ♦ Dandanašnji; danes.

Late in the day Far on/along in a project or activity; too late in a project or activity for action, decision, etc., to be taken. (Also used literally.) ○ It was a bit late in the day for him to apologize. ♦ Biti prepozen, zamujati.

Live to fight another day [Informal, humorous] Have another chance to win because you were only just defeated in a contest, etc. ○ She only just lost the election, so she lives to fight another day. ♦ Ţiveti za boljši dan/jutri. Imeti novo priloţnost.

Live to see the day Survive until the time when something happens often (the implication being that one may die first instead). ○ Things will be easier for you when you retire. If I live to see the day! ♦ Dočakati dan.

Lose the day Be defeated. ○ The Government lost the day in an important debate. ♦ Doţiveti poraz; izgubiti; biti premagan.

Make a day of doing something AND Make a day of it [Informal] To spend the whole day doing one special activity; make something pleasant last the whole day. ○ They made a day of cleaning the attic. / After our morning shopping, we decided to stay in town for lunch and make a day of it. ♦ Ostati ves dan; iti za ves dan.

Make one's day [Informal] Make someone happy with a certain pleasing action or gesture. ○ Thanks for sending me those flowers. It really made my day. ♦ Razveseliti koga; polepšati komu dan; osrečiti koga.

Name the day Decide on the date when a wedding or other special/formal event shall take place. ○ Denise and Martin are getting married, but they haven't named the day yet. ♦ Določiti datum (za poroko itd.).

Night and day (See Day and night, p. 15)

Nine days’ wonder Something that is of interest to people only for a short time. ○ Don‟t worry about the story about you in the newspaper. It‟ll be a nine days‟ wonder, and then people will forget. ♦ Biti muha enodnevnica; biti kratkega veka.

Not be someone's day [Informal] Someone is having a day of very bad luck. ○ It certainly wasn't Ted's day yesterday - he was late to work, lost his glasses and then hit his thumb with a hammer! ♦ Imeti slab dan.

Not give someone the time of day [Informal] To ignore someone (usually out of dislike). ○ Mary won‟t speak to Sally. She won‟t give her the time of day. ♦ Ne zmeniti se za koga; delati se, kot da koga ni; ignorirati koga.

Not have (got) all day Not to have much time to do something; not have any time to waste. ○ Come on, children. Off to school! You haven't got all day! ♦ Primanjkovati časa; ne imeti časa na pretek.

An off day A day when for some reason one does not do one's best work etc. ○ I did terribly in my driving lesson. It really was one of my off days. ♦ Slab dan.

One day At some undefined time; at some time in the future or at sometime in the past. ○ One day we‟ll be able to have a house of our own. ♦ Nekega dne; nekoč.

One of these (fine) days [Colloquial] Someday; one day soon, in some situation like this one. ○ One of these days, someone is going to steal your purse if you don‟t take better care of it. ♦ (Enkrat) te dni; (enkrat) v bliţnji prihodnosti.

One‟s days are numbered One faces death or dismissal (a cliché). ○ Uncle Tom has a terminal disease. His days are numbered. ♦ Dnevi so komu šteti.

One‟s good deed for the day An action, appropriate to the situation and designed to help another person or other people, that one tries to carry out each day. ○ Tell them if they want to borrow the lawn-mower they can come and fetch it themselves. Tell them I‟ve done my good deed for the day already. ♦ Vsakodnevno dobro delo koga.

The order of the day What is normally done, etc. or should be done in a particular situation; the usual attitudes, beliefs, etc. of a particular group of people. ○ Dinner jackets and evening dresses are the order of the day at these parties. ♦ Dnevni red; priporočilo dneva.

The other day Recently, a few days ago. ○ You'll never guess who I bumped into the other day! Barbara Daniels! ♦ Zadnjič; pred kratkim.

Pass the time of day (with someone) [Informal, old-fashioned] Greet somebody in a friendly way and have a short conversation with them about unimportant things like weather, etc. ○ No, we didn‟t have a serious talk; we just passed the time of day. ♦ Izmenjati kako besedo s kom; poklepetati s kom.

The present day Modern times; now. ○ These customs have continued right up to the present day. ♦ Danes.

Put off the evil day [Informal] Delay something unpleasant for as long as possible. ○ I worried for weeks about how I would tell him the bad news but eventually I couldn‟t put off the evil day any longer. ♦ Odlašati z neprijetnim opravilom.

A red-letter day [Informal] A very special day which is remembered because something important or good happened. (From the custom of printing Sundays and religious days (holidays) in red on calendars.) ○ Today was a red-letter day. We heard we had won a free holiday in Japan. ♦ Nepozaben dan.

Rue the day (that) Regret (the occasion) that (one did something). ○ I can‟t back out now but I rue the day I let myself get involved with this project. ♦ Obţalovati dan.

Save something for a rainy day To reserve something – usually money – for some future need. (A cliché. Save something can be replaced with put something aside, hold something back, keep something, etc.) ○ I‟ve saved a little money for a rainy day. Keep some extra candy for a rainy day. ♦ Prihraniti za hude čase.

Save the day To produce a good result when a bad result was expected. ○ The team was expected to lose, but Sally made many points and saved the day. ♦ Rešiti poloţaj/situacijo; rešiti, kar se rešiti da.

See the light (of day) To come to the end of a very busy time. ○ Finally, when the holiday season was over, we could see the light of day. We had been so busy. ♦ Zagledati luč sveta/dneva; ugledati luč sveta

Seize the day [Formal] To use an opportunity to do something that you want and not to worry about the future. ○ Seize the day, young man. You may never get the chance to embark on such an adventure again. ♦ Uţiti/izkoristiti dan.

Some day At some time in the future. ○ I'd like to hitch-hike around Malaysia some day. ♦ Nekoč; nekega dne.

Take the day off To choose not to go to work for one day. ○ Jane wasn‟t feeling well, so she took the day off. ♦ Vzeti si prosto/dopust (v sluţbi).

That’ll be the day. [Ironic] Used for saying that something is unlikely to happen. ○ Do you really think John will pass geometry? That‟ll be the day. ♦ To bi pa rad videl! Pa še kaj!

These days At the present time, as compared with an earlier time; nowadays. ○ Divorce is getting more and more common these days. ♦ Te dni; v zadnjem času; dandanes; trenutno.

This day week Next week on this day, in exactly a week's time. ○ This day week we shall be relaxing under the Jamaican sun! ♦ Naslednji teden ob tem času.

Those were the days The time being spoken about was a good or enjoyable time when compared with the present. ○ Those were the days. Back when people knew right from wrong. ♦ To so bili časi.

Till/to/until one‟s dying day For as long as you live. ○ I swear I won‟t forgive her to my dying day! ♦ Do smrti; do konca ţivljenja.

To the day (A date) exactly. ○ It's ten years to this day that we met. Remember? ♦ Do dneva (natančno).

To this (very) day Up to the present time, even now. ○ To this day I have not been able to find out anything about who my real parents were. ♦ Še zdaj/vedno; do tega trenutka; do danes; doslej.

24 (Twenty-four) hours a day All the time; every moment of the day. ○ I would say that my father lived according to the Torah 24 hours a day. ♦ 24 ur na dan; ves čas; neprestano.

Win the day (See Carry the day, p. 15)

4. 2 Hour

All hours (of the day and night) (See Chapter 4.1, p. 12)

At all hours At any time during the night or day; all the time. ○ He comes here at all hours, sometimes in the middle of the night. ♦ Ob vseh mogočih in nemogočih urah; ves čas; ob vsakem času.

At the bottom of the hour On the half hour; the opposite of at the top of the hour (Typically heard on television or the radio. Refers to the minute hand on a clock.) ○ We will have an interview with Harry Smith at the bottom of the hour. ♦ Ob pol (30 minut čez polno uro).

At the eleventh hour [Informal] At the last possible time before something would be too late. ○ She always turned her term papers in at the eleventh hour. ♦ V zadnjem trenutku/hipu; pet minut pred dvanajsto.

At the top of the hour At the exact beginning of the hour. (Typically heard on television or the radio.) ○ Every class in my school starts at the top of the hour. ♦ Ob polni uri.

A bad quarter of an hour An unpleasant time, experience. ○ The boss gave me a bad quarter of an hour when he found I had arrived late for work. ♦ Vzbujati neprijeten občutek.

Count the hours Know how many hours must go by before some desired event, and count them off one by one until then; look forward to something with eagerness. ○ She‟s been counting the hours since she woke up this morning. The party starts at 5 o‟clock. ♦ Odštevati ure.

Eleventh-hour decision A decision made at the last possible minute. ○ The president‟s eleventh-hour decision was made in a great hurry, but it turned out to be correct. ♦ Odločitev v zadnjem trenutku.

For hours on end For many hours. ○ We sat and waited for the doctor for hours on end. ♦ Ure in ure; več ur; v nedogled.

Happy hour A time, usually in late afternoon and early evening, during which a bar or tavern features drinks at reduced prices. ○ Let‟s get together tonight at Finn‟s for happy hour. ♦ Plačaš eno, dobiš dve; vesele urice.

Improve each/the shining hour [Rather humorous] To make the best possible use of one‟s time. ○ We all thought he was rather boring: he was the sort of person who would tell other people to improve each shining hour. ♦ Izkoristiti čas karseda dobro.

Keep banker's hours To work or be open for business for less than eight hours a day. ○ James doesn't really work full-time. He keeps banker's hours. ♦ Delati krajši/skrajšan delovni čas.

Put off the evil hour [Informal] Delay something unpleasant for as long as possible. ○ I worried for weeks about how I would tell him the bad news but eventually I couldn‟t put off the evil hour any longer. ♦ Odlašati z neprijetnim opravilom.

The question of the hour The question, matter of debate, etc., that attracts interest in a particular time. ○ The nation was thrilled, shocked, sympathetic. Whether Edward would abdicate in favour of his brother became the question of the hour. ♦ (Glavna) tema pogovora.

Small hours (of the night) [Informal] The hours immediately after midnight. ○ The dance went into the small hours of the night. ♦ Zgodnje jutranje ure.

24 (Twenty-four) hours a day (See Chapter 4.1, p. 27)

Wee hours (of the night) [Informal] The hours immediately after midnight. ○ Jim goes to bed at wee hours and gets up at lunchtime. ♦ Zgodnje jutranje ure.

The witching hour [Informal, often humorous] Midnight; the time when witches are said to exercise their powers or are supposed to be active. ○ The party began at 11 o‟clock, an hour before the witching hour when the old year ended and the new began. ♦ Ura duhov; polnoč.

Work all the hours God sends [Informal] Work all the time. ○ You look tired, Jane. I‟m working all the hours God sends at the moment trying to finish my thesis. ♦ Delati cele dneve.

Zero hour The time at which something is due to begin; a crucial moment. ○ The runners are getting nervous as zero ours approaches. The starter‟s gun will soon go off. ♦ Določena/dogovorjena ura; dogovorjeni čas; odločilni trenutek/čas; nov začetek.

4. 3 Minute

(Be) a laugh a minute [Informal] To be very funny and entertaining (often used humorously to mean the opposite). ○ 'A two-hour meeting with Nigel Owen? I bet that was fun.' 'Oh, it was a laugh a minute.' ♦ Strašno smešen/zabaven.

Every minute counts Time is very important. (Used especially in situations where time is very limited.) ○ Doctor, please try to get here quickly. Every minute counts. ♦ Vsaka minuta šteje; Čas je ključnega pomena.

In a New York minute Very quickly. ○ I would sell that car in a New York minute if the right offer came along. ♦ V trenutku; takoj.

A mile a minute Very fast; very quickly (used with talk, go, move, beat etc.). ○ As soon as she stepped off the plane, she began to talk a mile a minute, telling us all about her holiday. ♦ Zelo hitro.

Not have (got) a minute to call one's own Be very busy doing things, often for other people; have no time for oneself. ○ I‟ve been busy all day. I haven't had a minute to call my own. ♦ Ne imeti časa zase; ne imeti niti trenutka zase.

To the minute Exact(ly), punctual(ly). ○ Jack arrives every morning at the same time – 8.20, to the minute. ♦ Do minute natančno.

Up-to-the-minute [Informal] The very latest, the most modern or most recent. ○ I want to hear some up-to-the-minute news on the hostage situation. ♦ Najnovejši; najsodobnejši.

4. 4 Moment

At a moment's notice With very little warning; without much time to prepare; very quickly. ○ You can't expect me to pack my bags and jump on a flight to New York at a moment's notice! ♦ V trenutku; takoj.

The big moment The special time that everyone has been waiting for. ○ The big moment has come. I will now announce the winner. ♦ Veliki trenutek.

Dread the moment (when) Be worried about, or merely not be looking forward to, something that will, or may, happen. ○ Pauline spent three wretched hours at the cinema dreading the moment when she must go home and face her husband again. ♦ Bati se trenutka, (ko); biti groza trenutka, (ko).

Every moment counts Time is very important. ○ When you‟re trying to meet a deadline, every moment counts. ♦ Vsak trenutek šteje.

Have one's moments [Informal] Have periods of success, excitement, joy, etc. in your otherwise ordinary and uninteresting life; have parts which are more interesting or exciting than the rest. ○ Barry isn't usually very good around the house, but he does have his moments. Yesterday he repaired a leak! ♦ Imeti svetle trenutke.

In the heat of the moment (Of a decision, action, remark, etc. which you now regret) while in a state of strong emotion or excitement; without thought. ○ I must apologize for the rude things I said yesterday in the heat of the moment. ♦ V afektu.

Live for the moment To live only for the pleasures of the present time without planning for the future ○ When you‟re young, you tend to live for the moment and not plan for your future security. ♦ Ţiveti za trenutek.

The man, woman, boy, girl, etc. of the moment A person, who is currently being talked about a lot, treated as important, etc. ○ The man of the moment is the Secretary General of the United Nations because he seems to have stopped a very dangerous situation developing. ♦ Junak(inja) dneva; glavn-i(a) akter(ka).

The moment everyone has been waiting for The special time that everyone has been waiting for. ○ This is the big moment that you all have been waiting for. ♦ Trenutek, na katerega so vsi čakali; dan D pog.

The moment of truth The point at which someone has to face the reality of a situation. ○ The moment of truth is here. Turn over your exam papers and begin. ♦ Trenutek resnice.

The moment (that) The point in time at which an event happens; as soon as, immediately when ... ○ Call me the moment he arrives. ♦ V trenutku, (ko).

Not a moment too soon Almost too late, or at a time already overdue. ○ „We got him not a moment too soon‟ the surgeon told me, „the appendix was badly perforated.‟ ♦ V zadnjem trenutku; v zadnjem hipu.

Not a moment to spare AND Without a moment to spare Just in time; with no extra time. ○ Hurry, hurry! There‟s not a moment to spare. / I arrived without a moment to spare. ♦ Ne izgubiti niti trenutka; ne zapravljati časa; ne izgubljati časa; v zadnjem trenutku.

Of moment [Formal] Very important. ○ These are matters of great moment. ♦ Zelo pomembno; velikega pomena.

On the spur of the moment On impulse, without hesitating or pausing to think; suddenly; spontaneously. ○ The trip to Poole wasn't planned. I went there on the spur of the moment when I heard that my brother was there. ♦ Brez razmišljanja; iz trenutnega vzgiba; (kar) na lepem.

The psychological moment The most appropriate time to do something, in order to achieve success. ○ We are going to have to ask for money – it‟s just a question of finding the (right) psychological moment. ♦ Ključni trenutek.

Without a moment to spare (See Not a moment to spare, p. 35)

4. 5 Night

All hours (of the day and night) (See Chapter 4.1, p.12)

(As) black as night Very dark and black. ○ The ink in this pen is black as night. ♦ Črn kot noč.

(As) different as night and day Completely different. ○ Although Bobby and Billy are twins, they are as different as night and day. ♦ Biti kot noč in dan; razlikovati se kot noč in dan.

Be/take all night Take a long time, or too long a time (to do something). ○ „Are you going to take all night shaving?‟ she shouted to him through the bathroom door. ♦ Trajati celo večnost.

Call it a night [Colloquial] To end what one is doing at night and go [home] to bed. ○ At midnight, I called it a night and went to bed. ♦ Končajmo za danes; to naj bo za zdaj dovolj.

Day and night (See Chapter 4.1, p. 15)

Far into the night Late into the night; late. ○ The party went on far into the night. ♦ Dolgo v noč; pozno v noč.

Fly-by-night Irresponsible, untrustworthy. (Refers to a person who sneaks away secretly in the night.). ○ The carpenter we hired was a fly-by-night worker who did a very bad job. ♦ Nezanesljiv(ec/-ka); ponočnjak/-inja.

Have a good/bad night Sleep well/badly. ○ Did the patient have a good night, nurse? ♦ Dobro/slabo spati.

A hen night A party for women only, especially one that is organized for a woman who is soon going to get married. ○ Barbara's having her hen night a week before the wedding. ♦ Dekliščina.

Like a thief in the night Secretly or unexpectedly; unforeseen and/or unobserved. ○ One day, perhaps, you glimpse a figure in the mirror, and realize, with a shock, that the funny little woman is you. The years, like a thief in the night, have stolen what you were. ♦ Kot tat.

Make a night of doing something AND Make a night of it [Informal] To spend an evening or night enjoying oneself; to do something for the entire night. ○ Once or twice in the early spring we make a night of fishing. / We partied until three in the morning and then decided to make a night of it. ♦ Izkoristiti noč (v celoti).

The morning after (the night before) [Informal] The morning after a night spent drinking, when one has a hangover. ○ Oh, I‟ve got a hangover. Talk about the morning after the night before! ♦ Maček; imeti mačka.

Night after night For many nights in succession (without interruption). ○ I was woken up night after night by the noise of cats on the roof. ♦ Noč za nočjo; večer za večerom.

Night and day (See Chapter 4.1, Day and night, p. 15)

A night cap A drink (often alcoholic) taken before going to bed. ○ How about a night cap, Paul? Whisky and soda? ♦ Kozarček pred spanjem.

A night on the town A night of celebrating (at one or more places in town); go, etc. out to enjoy yourself at night; ○ After we got the contract signed, we celebrated with a night on the town. ♦ Iti zvečer ven ţurirat/proslavljat.

A night owl [Informal] Someone who feels livelier at night and usually stays up and goes to bed very late. ○ When he was at university Andy was a night owl, but that all changed with his first job. ♦ Nočna ptica; nočni ptič; ponočnjak/-inja.

One-night stand [Informal] An activity lasting one night. (Refers to either a musical performance or a period of sexual activity.) ○ What we want is an engagement for a week, not just a one-night stand. ♦ Avantura za eno noč.

Saturday night special A small, easily obtainable pistol. ○ There was another killing last night with a Saturday night special. ♦ Kratka/ţepna pištola.

Ships that pass in the night [Informal] People who meet each other briefly by chance and who are unlikely to meet again. ○ Mary wanted to see Jim again, but to him, they were ships that passed in the night. ♦ Beţno poznanstvo; beţni znanec/-ka.

Small hours (of the night) [Informal] (See Chapter 4.2, p. 30)

Spend the night with somebody AND Spend the night together [Quite informal] To stay with somebody for a night and have sex with them. ○ James told me Kim and Robin spent the night together. ♦ Preţiveti noč s kom; prespati pri kom.

Things that go bump in the night [Informal, humorous] Strange or frightening noises or events that happen or are imagined to happen during the night, or things that cannot be explained by science. ○ I don‟t believe in ghosts or spirits, or things that go bump in the night. ♦ Nenavadni/strašljivi nočni zvoki.

Turn night into day [Informal] Do at night what is usually done during the day. ○ Her husband is on the late shift, so she has turned night into day. ♦ Zamenjati noč za dan.

The watches of the night [Formal] (During) night hours when one is on duty, or simply awake, instead of sleeping. ○ I‟m going to economize. Suddenly in the watches of the night I realized what an expense I was to you. ♦ Ponoči; nočne ure.

Wee hours (of the night) [Informal] (See Chapter 4.2, p. 30)

A white night A sleepless night. (From French nuit blanche with the same meaning.) ○ I didn‟t feel particular tired, or sleepy, after my white night. It was the day after that again, that it hit me. ♦ Neprespana noč.

4. 6 Time

Ahead of one‟s time Having ideas or attitudes that are too advanced to be acceptable to or to be appreciated by the society in which one is living. ○ People buy that artist‟s work now, but his paintings were laughed at when he was alive. He was ahead of his time. ♦ Biti pred (svojim) časom; biti napreden.

All in good time At some future time; in the near future; soon. (This phrase is used to encourage people to be patient and wait quietly.) ○ When will the baby be born? All in good time. ♦ Vse ob svojem času.

(As) old as time Ancient, very old; dating from far back in history; not new or young. ○ Geologically speaking, most of the earth‟s surface is comparatively new, but here and there, rock formations old as time have been exposed by the action of long vanished glaciers or by natural erosion. ♦ Star kot svet; star kot zemlja.

At the best of times [Informal] When conditions are good or most favourable. ○ My French isn't very good at the best of times, but it's hopeless when I have to speak it unexpectedly on the telephone. ♦ V najboljših trenutkih/pogojih.

Bang on time At the correct time, neither early nor late. ○ The train came in bang on time. ♦ Popolnoma točen; pravočasen.

The big time [Informal] The top level of some sphere or activity, especially one that gives one a lot of publicity, e.g. the world of entertainment, or the wealth, success and fame that go with it. ○ Hill (a runner) is thirty-six. But he did not get into the big time until four years ago. ♦ Špica; višek; vrhunec; slava; uspeh.

Buy time Delay something that seems about to happen. ○ This treatment can buy time for the patient, but will not cure him. ♦ Zavlačevati; pridobiti čas.

Call one‟s time one‟s own Be free from, have to suffer, continual interference with one‟s privacy or independence. ○ „Living right on the campus,‟ explained the professor, „I could never call my time my own. That‟s why I moved out here.‟ ♦ Imeti čas zase.

Crunch time A period when pressure to succeed is great, often toward the end of an undertaking. ○ It's crunch time and we only have two more days to finish. ♦ Odločilni/kritični trenutek.

Dead on time At exactly the expected or appointed time. ○ The towing aircraft appeared dead on time, and far behind it a small winged object streaked across the sky. ♦ Biti (do minute) točen.

Do/serve time [Informal] Be in prison; serve a prison sentence. ○ He had done time for robbing a bank. ♦ Sedeti; biti v zaporu.

Even in the best of times Even when things are good; even when things are going well. ○ John had difficulty getting a loan even in the best of times because of his poor credit record. ♦ Tudi v najboljših časih.

Every time one turns around [Informal] Frequently; at every turn; with annoying frequency. ○ Somebody asks me for money every time I turn around. ♦ Vedno, ko je moţnost.

Fall on hard times Become poor. ○ She has fallen on hard times and hardly has enough money to live on. ♦ Imeti denarne teţave; obuboţati.

Find time for someone or something To set aside or make time for someone or something. ○ I can‟t find time for it today. I‟ll try to find time tomorrow. ♦ Najti čas za.

Fine time (to do something) [Ironic] A bad time because it is unsuitable, inconvenient, too late etc. ○ 'Oh, before I forget, I've found you a customer for your old car. He'll pay you $750.' Now's a fine time to tell me. I sold it yesterday for $600!' ♦ Pravi čas (ironično).

For all time For a very long time; until the end of time; through succeeding ages. ○ Just when it seemed that the silence was to remain unbroken for all time he paused in the act of buttering a piece of toast, looked very hard across the table, cleared his throat and said in an accusing tone: „D. Bottwink, you are a foreigner.‟ ♦ Za vse (večne) čase; za vekomaj.

For old times’ sake Because of pleasant, or sentimental, memories of one‟s past. ○ I saw John Smith today. I hadn‟t seen him for years. We had a drink together for old times‟ sake. ♦ Zavoljo starih časov.

For the nth time [Informal] Used for expressing annoyance, impatience, etc. at the number of times something happens or is necessary. ○ I told him, for the nth time, to tidy his room but he‟s done nothing to it at all. ♦ Ničkolikokrat; stokrat.

Get time off for good behaviour To have one‟s prison sentence shortened because of good behaviour. ○ Bob will get out of jail tomorrow rather than next week. He got time off for good behaviour. ♦ Skrajšati zaporno kazen zaradi lepega vedenja.

Give it time. Be patient; in time, things will change for the better or for the worse. ○ Things will get better. Don‟t worry. Give it time. ♦ Dati času čas.

Give someone a hard/rough/bad time [Informal] To give someone unnecessary difficulty (because you don‟t like them, etc.) ○ Ever since I started work here, she‟s been shouting at me and giving me a hard time. ♦ Oteţevati komu ţivljenje; greniti komu ţivljenje; povzročati preglavice/teţave.

Hardly have time to breathe AND Scarcely have time to breathe To be very busy. ○ This was such a busy day. I hardly had time to breathe. ♦ Komaj(da) imeti čas zadihati (zaradi preobremenjenosti).

Hardly have time to think So busy that one can hardly think properly; very busy. ○ I‟ve been so busy that I hardly have time to think. ♦ Komaj(da) imeti čas razmišljati (zaradi preobremenjenosti).

Have a good time. Enjoy oneself. ○ You‟re going to the zoo? Well, have a good time. ♦ Lepo se imej(te)! Uţivaj(te)!

Have a hard/rough /bad time (of it) [Informal] To experience a difficult period. ○ Since his wife died, Mr. Brown has been having a rough time of it. ♦ Biti teţko; povzročati teţave; s teţavo se soočati z nečim.

Have a lot of time for (somebody/something) [Informal] To like and admire someone or something; ○ I've got a lot of time for Jenny. She always has something interesting to say. ♦ Dati klobuk dol pred kom/čim; občudovat koga/kaj.

Have a thin time (of it) Be in an unsuccessful period in your business. ○ Small businesses are having a thin time of it at the moment; a lot are closing down. ♦ Tanko/tenko piskati.

Have a whale of a time [Informal] To have an exciting time, a very enjoyable time (Whale is a way of saying big.) ○ We had a whale of a time at Sally‟s birthday party... ♦ Noro/fantastično/odlično se zabavati.

Have an easy time of it [Informal] Be in a very favourable situation; lead a comfortable life without worry or hard work. ○ She has a very easy time of it in her job – she only works about 20 hours a week. ♦ Dobro se goditi; ne goditi se komu teţko.

Have no time for (someone or something) [Informal] To dislike someone; not waste one‟s time in concerning oneself with (someone or something). ○ We have no time for the Smiths. We don‟t get along. ♦ Ne imeti časa za (koga ali kaj); ne izgubljati časa za (koga ali kaj).

Have the time of one's life [Informal] To have a very good time; to have a very pleasant and enjoyable experience. ○ We took the children to Disneyland and they had the lime of their lives! ♦ Noro se zabavati; dobro se imeti.

Have (got) time on one‟s hands [Informal] Have/get more free time than you want or need. ○ Now the children have left home, she‟s got a lot of time on her hands. ♦ Imeti časa na pretek; ne imeti kaj početi.

In less than no time [Informal] In very little time; very quickly. ○ Don‟t worry. This won‟t take long; it‟ll be over with in less than no time. ♦ V hipu; kot bi trenil; takoj.

In one's own good time Without hurry; when a person is ready; at the time or rate that one decides oneself. ○ There's no rush for the translation. Just do it in your own good time. ♦ Ko bo kdo pri volji nekaj storiti.

In one‟s own time In one‟s free time; outside working hours. ○ My employer made me write the report in my own time. That‟s not fair. ♦ V lastnem tempu; v prostem času koga.

In one‟s spare time In one‟s extra time; in the time not reserved for doing something else. ○ I write novels in my spare time. ♦ V prostem času koga.

In the course of time In a normal or expected amount of time. ○ Be patient. I‟m sure you‟ll be promoted in the course of time. ♦ Ob svojem času; ko bo (pravi) čas za to.

In the fullness of time [Formal] When enough time has passed; eventually. ○ I knew that, in the fullness of time, somebody with your abilities would emerge and become leader. ♦ Ob svojem času; ko bo (pravi) čas za to.

In the nick of time [Informal] Just in time; at the last possible moment; just before it‟s too late. ○ The doctor arrived in the nick of time. The patient‟s life was saved. ♦ V zadnjem hipu/trenutku; ravno še pravi čas.

In the right place at the right time In the location where something is to happen, exactly when it happens. (Usually about something good.) ○ Unless you are in the right place at the right time, you won‟t get a chance to meet a movie star. ♦ Biti ob pravem času na pravem mestu.

In the wrong place at the wrong time In the location where something is to happen, exactly when it happens. (Usually about something bad.) ○ I always get into trouble. I‟m just in the wrong place at the wrong time. ♦ Biti ob nepravem času na nepravem mestu.

In times past Long ago; in previous times. ○ In times past, you would not have been able to wear casual clothing to work. ♦ V preteklih časih; v starih časih; nekoč.

Invest someone‟s time in something To put one‟s time, effort, or energy into a project. ○ Mary invested her time in charity work. ♦ Posvetiti čas; vloţiti čas/trud v.

It is only/just/etc. a matter of time (before …) Used to say that a thing will definitely happen in the future, although it may not happen immediately. ○ Don‟t worry, you‟ll get a job if you keep looking. It is just a matter of time. ♦ Biti samo stvar časa (preden) …; biti samo vprašanje časa, (preden) …

Keep up (with the times) To stay in fashion; to keep up with the news; to be contemporary or modern. ○ I try to keep up with the times. I want to know what‟s going on. ♦ Biti v koraku (s časom); drţati korak (s časom).

Kill time [Informal] To do something to pass the time and prevent oneself from being bored, especially when forced to wait. ○ The only time I read magazines is in doctors' waiting rooms to kill time. ♦ Preganjati dolgčas.

Last one‟s time Continue or be to exist, or be sufficient, during one‟s own lifetime, although perhaps not much longer. ○ The roof will last our time, Mary. I‟d rather spend the money on making things a bit easier for us. ♦ Trajati za čas ţivljenja (koga).

Live on borrowed time To live longer than circumstances warrant. ○ This project is living on borrowed time. It is overdue for completion. ♦ Biti blizu smrti; biti komu/čemu šteti dnevi.

Long time no see. A phrase indicating that one has not seen someone for a long time. ○ Hello, John. Long time no see. ♦ Ţe celo večnost se nismo videli!

Lose track of time Forget about the time. ○ She was so engrossed in her book she lost all track of time. ♦ Izgubiti stik s časom; pozabiti na čas.

Make good time To progress rapidly; to progress at a speed that is satisfactory or faster than expected. ○ I‟m making good time. My report is almost finished. ♦ Hitro napredovati.

Make time (with someone) [Informal] To flirt with, date, or hang around with someone. ○ I hear Tom‟s been making time with Ann. ♦ Osvajati koga; zapeljevati koga.

Make time for (someone or something) To schedule time to see someone or do something. ○ I can‟t make time for you tomorrow morning. ♦ Imeti čas za (koga/kaj).

Make up for lost time To catch up; to do as much as possible that you were not able to do before. ○ Because we took so long eating lunch, we have to drive faster to make up for lost time. Otherwise we‟ll be late. ♦ Nadoknaditi zamujeno.

Make up the time Do something at a different time, because you cannot do it at the usual or correct time. ○ He had a long lunch break on Tuesday and so he made up the time by working late on Wednesday. ♦ Nadoknaditi zamujeno.

Many is the time On many occasions; many times, frequently. ○ Many is the time I wanted to complain, but I just kept quiet. ♦ Marsikdaj; velikokrat.

Mark time To wait; not do anything important while you wait. ○ I'll just mark time till things get better. ♦ Začasno se ukvarjati s čim; preganjati čas.

Move/march with the times To progress or develop at the same rate as changing fashions and general social customs. ○ If you want to grow as a business and attract new customers you must move with the times. ♦ Iti v korak s časom.

Next to no time Hardly any time at all, a very short period of time. ○ John finished work in next to no time. ♦ V hipu; kot bi trenil; takoj.

Nine times out of ten AND Ninety-nine times out of a hundred [Informal] Almost always. ○ Ninety-nine times out of a hundred she is right about people but this time she was wrong. ♦ V večini primerov; skoraj vedno.

Not able to call one‟s time one‟s own [Informal] Too busy; so busy as not to be in charge of one‟s own schedule. ○ It‟s been so busy around here that I haven‟t been able to call my time my own. ♦ Ne imeti časa sam zase.

Not before time At a time when something is overdue, almost too late; (and) about time (too). ○ The parcel eventually arrived six weeks later, and not before time! ♦ Saj je bil ţe čas!

Not give someone the time of day [Informal] To ignore someone (usually out of dislike). ○ Mary won‟t speak to Sally. She won‟t give her the time of day. ♦ Ne zmeniti se za koga; biti neprijazen do koga.

Now’s the/your time! Now is the right/best opportunity for you to do something. ○ If you need some new skis, now's your time. Look, they're all reduced. ♦ Zdaj je (nastopil) tvoj čas! Zdaj imaš priloţnost!

Once upon a time Once in the past. (A formula used to begin a fairy tale.) ○ Once upon a time, there were three bears. ♦ Nekoč; pred davnimi časi nekdaj; včasih.

One at a time Singly; each in turn; the first one, then the next on, then the next one, etc. ○ Okay, just take things one at a time. ♦ Eden po eden; posamezno.

One step at a time Gradually or slowly; without rushing. ○ He wanted to rush through the job, but I encouraged him to take it one step at a time. ♦ Korak za korakom; postopoma.

Out of time (with someone or something) [Marching or dancing] out of cadence with someone else. ○ Pay attention, Ann. You‟re out of time. ♦ Izgubiti ritem.

Overtime Extra time; additional hours of work for which payment is made. ○ The firm is cutting back on overtime. ♦ Nadure; nadurno delo; delo v podaljšanem delovnem času.

Pass the time To fill up time (by doing something). ○ I never know how to pass time when I‟m on vacation. ♦ Preţivljati čas; krajšati si čas; preganjati čas.

Pass the time of day (with someone) [Informal, old-fashioned] To have a short conversation with someone about unimportant things like weather, etc. ○ I saw Mr. Brown in town yesterday. I stopped and passed the time of day with him. ♦ Poklepetati (s kom); izmenjati nekaj besed (s kom).

Play for time To try to gain time by delaying. ○ If I can play for time a bit longer, they might lower the price. ♦ Zavlačevati.

Quite some time Quite a long time. ○ Quite some time has passed since I last saw my brother. ♦ Kar nekaj časa.

Right on time At the correct time; no later than the specified time. ○ If you get there right on time, you‟ll get one of the free tickets. ♦ Točno ob času; biti točen.

Run out of time To use up all the available time. ○ I hope she answers the question before she runs out of time. ♦ Zmanjkati časa; imeti premalo časa.

The sands of time Time is passing; there is not much time left in which to do something; the accumulated tiny amounts of time; time represented by the sand in an hourglass. ○ The sands of time will make you grow old like everyone else. ♦ Iztekajoči se čas.

Scarcely have time to breathe (See Hardly have time to breathe, p. 45)

Serve one‟s time Do a fixed period of service in the army, navy etc. or in prison. ○ He served his time in the Army and was then discharged. ♦ Sluţiti v vojski, mornarici; prestajati zaporno kazen.

Since time immemorial Since a very long time ago. ○ Since time immemorial, the trees have blossomed each spring. ♦ Ţe od nekdaj.

Small-time Small; on a small scale. ○ Our business is just small-time now, but it‟s growing. ♦ Majhen; nepomemben.

Stand the test of time To be remembered long after the period of his or its first popularity; be remembered for a long time. ○ Dickens‟ books have stood the test of time – they are as popular now as they were a century ago. ♦ Kljubovati zobu časa; ostati popularen; biti preverjen; (še vedno) dobro delovati.

There is a time (and a place) for everything Different things are appropriate on different occasions. ○ There is a time and a place for everything, but this formal dinner is not the time or the place to eat with your fingers. ♦ Za vsako stvar obstajata pravi čas in prostor.

Time after time Repeatedly; over and over (again); times without number. ○ You‟ve made the same error time after time! Please, try to be more careful. ♦ Kar naprej; vedno znova.

Time and (time) again [Informal] Often; many times; repeatedly; over and over (again). ○ You keep saying the same thing over and over, time and time again. Stop it! ♦ Kar naprej; vedno znova.

Time hangs/lies heavy on someone‟s hands A phrase meaning that time seems to go slowly when one has nothing to do. ○ John looks so bored. Time hangs heavy on his hands. ♦ Čutiti/občutiti dolgčas.

Time is getting on It is getting late; there is not much time left. ○ We‟d better hurry up and finish; time‟s getting on. ♦ Čas preganja koga; pozno je ţe.

Time is on someone‟s side Someone has enough time to do something; the more that time passes, the more someone will be helped. ○ The longer we wait to sell the house, the more it will be worth, so we‟ve got time on our side. ♦ Čas je na strani nekoga; čas je zaveznik nekoga.

Time’s up! There is no time left, no more time is allowed. ○ Time‟s up! Turn in your test whether you‟re finished or not. ♦ Čas je potekel!

Time off A period of time during which one does not have to work; free time. (Also with have, get and take) ○ The next time I have some time off, I want to go to Miami. ♦ Imeti/vzeti si prosto; odmor.

Time out 1. To record one‟s departure time. 2. Stopped the clock in a sporting event that is played in a fixed time period. ○ 1. Did you remember to time out when you left work? ○ 2. The coach made a sign for time out, and the clock stopped and a buzzer sounded. ♦ Premor; odmor; odjava koga/česa.

Time out of mind For a very long time; longer than anyone can remember. ○ The Smith family have lived in that house time out of mind. ♦ Celo večnost; zelo dolgo.

Time to catch one‟s breath To find enough time to relax or behave normally. (Also with have and get.) ○ When thing slow down around here, I‟ll get time to catch my breath. ♦ Imeti čas zadihati/zajeti sapo/zrak; Priti do sape/zraka.

Two-time someone [Slang] To cheat on or betray one‟s spouse or lover by dating or seeing someone else. ○ When Mrs. Franklin learned that Mr. Franklin was two-timing her, she left him. ♦ Prevarati; biti nezvest; varati koga (s kom).

When the time is ripe At exactly the right time. ○ When the time is ripe, I‟ll bring up the subject again. ♦ Ko bo pravi čas/trenutek.

While away the time To spend or waste time. ○ Jane whiles away the time by daydreaming. ♦ Preţivljati čas; krajšati čas.

The womb of time (In) the period before something happens, becomes known or reveals itself. ○ Mammal fossils exist from this period, but man himself, as we know him, was still in the womb of time. ♦ Pred začetkom obstoja; v razvoju.

5 DATA ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION

253 idioms denoting time were analysed and translated into Slovene language. I classified them into six groups (DAY, HOUR, MINUTE, MOMENT, NIGHT, TIME), which were identical to those stated from English Idioms - A fifth edition of English Idioms and How to use them by authors Jennifer Seidl and W. McMordie (1997).

The largest group of idioms was found under TIME, altogether 97 idioms. Group of idioms under DAY is the second largest group containing 84 idioms. In the third place is a group of idioms under NIGHT with 28 idioms. Groups of idioms that follow are the group under HOUR with 20 idioms and the group under MOMENT with 17 idioms. The smallest group of idioms was found under MINUTE containing 7 idioms.

Graph 1: Classification of idioms denoting time into six groups

I divided all idioms into three groups according to the way they are translated. In the first one, there are idioms that have exactly the same structure and meaning in both languages, in the second are the ones which differ partially in syntax, words or structure, but have the same meaning. In the last group there are English idioms with no Slovene equivalents.

The first group where idioms denoting time are identical in English and Slovene is the smallest. It contains 71 idioms (or 28 %). In the second place is the group with 73 idioms (or 29 %) and these idioms have the same meaning, but a different structure in English and Slovene. The largest group of idioms, containing 109 idioms (43 %), is the group of English idioms with no equivalents in Slovene.

Graph 2: Groups of idioms according to the way idioms are translated

The idioms referring to DAY, HOUR, MINUTE, MOMENT, NIGHT and TIME are further classified into three groups according to the way they are translated: - idioms that are identical in both languages; - idioms that differ partially in syntax, words or structure but have the same meaning in both languages; - English idioms with no Slovene equivalents.

Idioms denoting Idioms with the English idioms time that are same meaning, denoting time identical in but a different with no Slovene English and structure in equivalents Slovene English and Slovene

DAY 24 35 25 HOUR 2 6 12 MINUTE 2 1 4 MOMENT 10 3 4 NIGHT 8 7 13 TIME 25 21 51 TOTAL 71 73 109

Table 1: Classification of individual groups of idioms into three groups according to the way idioms are translated

5.1 Idioms denoting time that are identical in English and Slovene

Longman Dictionary of English Language (1980) defines idioms as expressions that are, in a very broad sense, metaphorical rather than literal. Comparing the translation of idioms, it is interesting to notice that there are quite a few idioms which have the same meaning and the same structure (form) in both languages.

This group of idioms denoting time is the smallest in comparison to two other groups of idioms. It contains 71 idioms (or 28 %).

Graph 3: Comparison of idioms denoting time that are identical in English and Slovene and other idioms denoting time

The following table shows which idioms denoting time are identical in English and Slovene.

(As) different as night and day Biti kot noč in dan; razlikovati se kot noč in dan. A black day (for someone) Črn dan; slab dan. Count the days Odštevati dneve. Day after day Dan za dnem; iz dneva v dan. Day and night Noč in dan; ves čas.

Day in, day out AND Dan za dnem; iz dneva v dan. Day in and day out The day of reckoning (O posamezniku) dan sodbe; odločilni dan; usodni dan; dan D pog. Day-to-day Vsak dan; (vsako)dnevno; vsakdanji; tekoč. The dog days Pasji dnevi; pasja vročina. From day to day Iz dneva v dan; vsak dan.

From this day forward AND Od danes (naprej); od zdaj; odslej. From this day on AND From this day forth Have one‟s day Imeti svoj dan.

In all one‟s born days Svoj ţivi dan; v svojih ţivih dneh; v (vsem) svojem ţivljenju. Night and day Noč in dan; ves čas. One‟s days are numbered Dnevi so komu šteti. One‟s good deed for the day Vsakodnevno dobro delo koga. The order of the day Dnevni red; priporočilo dneva. The present day Danes. Rue the day (that) Obţalovati dan. See the light (of day) Zagledati luč sveta/dneva; ugledati luč sveta. Seize the day Uţiti/izkoristiti dan. These days Te dni; v zadnjem času; dandanes; trenutno. To the day Do dneva (natančno). 24 (Twenty-four) hours a day 24 ur na dan; ves čas; neprestano. Count the hours Odštevati ure. 24 (Twenty-four) hours a day 24 ur na dan; ves čas; neprestano. Every minute counts Vsaka minuta šteje; Čas je ključnega pomena. To the minute Do minute (natančno). The big moment Veliki trenutek. Dread the moment (when) Bati se trenutka, (ko); biti groza trenutka, (ko). Every moment counts Vsak trenutek šteje. Live for the moment Ţiveti za trenutek. The moment everyone has been Trenutek, na katerega so vsi čakali; dan D pog. waiting for The moment of truth Trenutek resnice. The moment (that) V trenutku, (ko). Not a moment too soon V zadnjem trenutku; v zadnjem hipu. Not a moment to spare Ne izgubiti niti trenutka; v zadnjem trenutku; ne zapravljati časa; ne izgubljati časa. Without a moment to spare Ne izgubiti niti trenutka; v zadnjem trenutku; ne zapravljati časa; ne izgubljati časa. (As) black as night Črn kot noč.

(As) different as night and day Biti kot noč in dan; razlikovati se kot noč in dan. Day and night Noč in dan; ves čas. Night after night Noč za nočjo; Večer za večerom. Night and day Noč in dan; ves čas. Spend the night with somebody Preţiveti noč s kom; prespati pri kom. AND Spend the night together Turn night into day Zamenjati noč za dan. The watches of the night. Nočne ure; ponoči. Ahead of one‟s time Biti pred (svojim) časom; biti napreden. Even in the best of times Tudi v najboljših časih. Find time for someone or Najti čas za. something For all time Za vse (večne) čase; za vekomaj. For old times’ sake Zavoljo starih časov. Give it time. Dati času čas. Hardly have time to breathe Komaj(da) imeti čas zadihati (zaradi preobremenjenosti). Hardly have time to think Komaj(da) imeti čas razmišljati (zaradi preobremenjenosti). Have no time for (someone or Ne imeti časa za (koga ali kaj); ne izgubljati časa something) za (koga ali kaj). In one‟s own time V prostem času koga. In one‟s spare time V prostem času koga. In the right place at the right Biti ob pravem času na pravem mestu. time In the wrong place at the wrong Biti ob nepravem času na nepravem mestu. time In times past V preteklih časih; v starih časih; nekoč. Invest someone‟s time in Posvetiti čas; vloţiti čas/trud v. something

It is only/just/etc. a matter of Biti samo stvar časa (preden) …; biti samo time (before …) vprašanje časa, (preden) … Lose track of time Izgubiti stik s časom; pozabiti na čas. Pass the time Preţivljati čas; krajšati si čas; preganjati čas. Quite some time Kar nekaj časa. Right on time. Točno ob času; biti točen. Run out of time Zmanjkati časa; imeti premalo časa. Scarcely have time to breathe Komaj(da) imeti čas zadihati (zaradi preobremenjenosti). There is a time (and a place) for Za vsako stvar obstajata pravi čas in prostor. everything Time is on someone‟s side Čas je na strani nekoga; čas je zaveznik nekoga. Time to catch one‟s breath Imeti čas zadihati/zajeti sapo/zrak; priti do sape/zraka.

Table 2: Idioms denoting time that are identical in English and Slovene

5.2 Idioms with the same meaning, but a different structure in English and Slovene

Idioms are usually culturally bound and it is impossible to expect that different language will always use the same idiomatic expressions. There are different reasons for that. One of the reasons is that Slovene and English belong to different language families, which are influenced and dependent on different cultural backgrounds and customs. As a result it may happen that in individual cases certain grammatical structures between the languages differ even though the meaning remains the same (the reason being different cultural backgrounds).

Out of 253 idioms altogether, 73 idioms (or 29 %) were found to differ partially in syntax, words or structure, but having the same meaning in English and Slovene.

Graph 4: Comparison of idioms with the same meaning, but a different structure in English and Slovene and other idioms denoting time

The following table illustrates, which idioms have the same meaning, but a different structure in English and Slovene.

All day and every day (Čisto) vsak dan; iz dneva v dan; dan za dnem. All the days of one‟s life Vse ţive dni. All the livelong day Ves ljubi dan. (As) clear as day Jasno kot beli dan; kristalno jasno. (As) happy as the day is long Radosten; neizmerno vesel; zelo vesel. (As) honest as the day is long Iskren; zelo pošten. (As) merry as the day is long Radosten; brezskrben; zelo vesel. (As) plain as day Jasen kot beli dan; razumljiv. At the end of the day Konec koncev; navsezadnje. Be/take all day Vzeti si čas; porabiti ves dan. Call it a day Zaključiti/končati (z delom) za tisti dan. Day by day Iz dneva v dan. Don’t quit your day job! Drţati se redne sluţbe. Forever and a day Za vse večne čase; za vekomaj; za vedno. Halcyon days Vedri dnevi; srečni dnevi/časi.

Have seen/known better days Videti/poznati boljše čase. In days of old/yore V starih časih; nekoč. In this day and age Dandanašnji; danes. Live to fight another day Ţiveti za boljši dan/jutri. Imeti novo priloţnost. Live to see the day Dočakati dan. Not be someone's day Imeti slab dan. Not have (got) all day Primanjkovati časa; ne imeti časa na pretek. An off day Slab dan. One day Nekega dne; nekoč. One of these (fine) days (Enkrat) te dni; (enkrat) v bliţnji prihodnosti. The other day Zadnjič; pred kratkim. A red-letter day Nepozaben dan. Save something for a rainy day Prihraniti za hude čase. Save the day Rešiti poloţaj/situacijo; rešiti, kar se rešiti da. Some day Nekoč; nekega dne. This day week Naslednji teden ob tem času. Those were the days To so bili časi. Till/to/until one‟s dying day Do smrti; do konca ţivljenja. To this (very) day Še zdaj/vedno; do tega trenutka; do danes; doslej. Win the day Zmagati; uspeti. At all hours Ob vseh mogočih in nemogočih urah; ves čas; ob vsakem času. For hours on end Ure in ure; več ur; v nedogled. Small hours (of the night) Zgodnje jutranje ure. Wee hours (of the night) Zgodnje jutranje ure. The witching hour Ura duhov; polnoč. Work all the hours God sends Delati cele dneve. Not have (got) a minute to call Ne imeti časa zase; ne imeti niti trenutka zase. one's own At a moment's notice V trenutku; takoj.

Have one's moments Imeti svetle trenutke. The psychological moment Ključni trenutek. Far into the night Dolgo v noč; pozno v noč. Make a night of doing Izkoristiti noč (v celoti). something AND Make a night of it A night owl Nočna ptica; nočni ptič; ponočnjak/-inja. One-night stand Avantura za eno noč. Small hours (of the night) Zgodnje jutranje ure. Wee hours (of the night) Zgodnje jutranje ure. A white night Neprespana noč. All in good time Vse ob svojem času. (As) old as time Star kot svet; star kot zemlja. At the best of times V najboljših trenutkih/pogojih. Call one‟s time one‟s own Imeti čas zase. Fine time (to do something) Pravi čas (ironično). Have (got) time on one‟s hands Imeti časa na pretek; ne imeti kaj početi. In the course of time Ob svojem času; ko bo (pravi) čas za to. In the fullness of time Ob svojem času; ko bo (pravi) čas za to. Keep up (with the times) Biti v koraku (s časom); drţati korak (s časom). Last one‟s time Trajati za čas ţivljenja koga. Make time for (someone or Imeti čas za (koga/kaj). something) Move/march with the times Iti v korak s časom. Not able to call one‟s time one‟s Ne imeti časa sam zase. own Not before time Saj je bil ţe čas! Now’s the/your time! Zdaj je (nastopil) tvoj čas! Zdaj imaš priloţnost! Once upon a time Nekoč; pred davnimi časi nekdaj; včasih. One at a time Eden po eden; posamezno.

One step at a time Korak za korakom; postopoma. Time is getting on Čas preganja koga; pozno je ţe. When the time is ripe Ko bo pravi čas/trenutek. While away the time Preţivljati čas; krajšati čas.

Table 3: Idioms with the same meaning, but a different structure in English and Slovene

5.3 English idioms denoting time with no Slovene equivalents

The main reasons why we cannot find appropriate equivalents in Slovene for all English idioms are the different historical, cultural and social backgrounds. In addition, geographical features may play a role in this too. Slovene generally has fewer idiomatic phrases than the English speaking countries. It is for this reason that English idioms often have to be translated into Slovene in a descriptive way rather than by idiomatic equivalents.

This group of idioms denoting time is the largest. Out of 253 idioms altogether, 109 idioms (or 43 %) were found to have no equivalents in Slovene.

Graph 5: Comparison of English idioms denoting time with no Slovene equivalents and other idioms denoting time

The following table illustrates which English idioms have no equivalents in Slovene.

All hours (of the day and night) Pozno/dolgo v noč. All in a day’s work Spadati zraven. Carry the day Zmagati, uspeti. A day late and a dollar short Premalo in prepozno. Fall on evil days Naleteti na slabe dneve; imeti smolo; začetek črnih dni/hudih časov. For days on end Non-stop; dan za dnem. From day one Od vsega začetka (pogovorno).

Get the day off AND Get a day Dobiti/imeti prosto (dopust). off AND Have the day off Have a field day Dati si duška. Have had one‟s/its day Odsluţiti; biti v zatonu. Have the day off Dobiti/imeti prosto (dopust). High days and holidays Ob posebnih priloţnostih; za posebne priloţnosti. In one‟s salad days V telečjih letih (šaljivo); v mladosti; v mladih letih. In the cold light of day Po (tehtnem) premisleku. Late in the day Biti prepozen, zamujati. Lose the day Doţiveti poraz; izgubiti; biti premagan. Make a day of doing something Ostati ves dan; iti za ves dan.

AND Make a day of it. Make one's day Razveseliti koga; polepšati komu dan; osrečiti koga. Name the day Določiti datum (za poroko itd.). Nine days’ wonder Biti muha enodnevnica; biti kratkega veka. Not give someone the time of Ne zmeniti se za koga; biti neprijazen do day koga.

Pass the time of day (with Izmenjati kako besedo s kom; poklepetati s someone) kom. Put off the evil day Odlašati z neprijetnim opravilom. Take the day off Vzeti si prosto/dopust (v sluţbi). That’ll be the day To bi pa rad videl! Pa še kaj! All hours (of the day and night) Pozno/dolgo v noč. At the bottom of the hour Ob pol (30 minut čez polno uro). At the eleventh hour V zadnjem trenutku/hipu; pet minut pred dvanajsto. At the top of the hour Ob polni uri. A bad quarter of an hour Vzbujati neprijeten občutek. Eleventh-hour decision Odločitev v zadnjem trenutku. Happy hour Plačaš eno, dobiš dve; vesele urice.

Improve each/the shining hour Izkoristiti čas karseda dobro. Keep banker's hours Delati krajši/skrajšan delovni čas. Put off the evil hour Odlašati z neprijetnim opravilom. The question of the hour (Glavna) tema pogovora. Zero hour Določena/dogovorjena ura; dogovorjeni čas; odločilni trenutek/čas; nov začetek. (Be) a laugh a minute Strašno smešen/zabaven. In a New York minute V trenutku; takoj. A mile a minute Zelo hitro. Up-to-the-minute Najnovejši; najsodobnejši. In the heat of the moment V afektu. The man, woman, boy, girl, etc. Junak(inja) dneva; glavn-i(a) akter(ka). of the moment Of moment Zelo pomembno; velikega pomena. On the spur of the moment Brez razmišljanja; iz trenutnega vzgiba; (kar) na lepem. All hours (of the day and night) Pozno/dolgo v noč.

Be/take all night Trajati celo večnost. Call it a night Končajmo za danes; to naj bo za zdaj dovolj. Fly-by-night Nezanesljiv(ec/-ka); ponočnjak/-inja. Have a good/bad night Dobro/slabo spati. A hen night Dekliščina. Like a thief in the night Kot tat. The morning after (the night Maček; imeti mačka. before) A night cap Kozarček pred spanjem. A night on the town Iti zvečer ven ţurirat/proslavljat. Saturday night special Kratka/ţepna pištola. Ships that pass in the night Beţno poznanstvo; beţni znanec/-ka. Things that go bump in the Nenavadni/strašljivi nočni zvoki. night Bang on time Popolnoma točen; pravočasen. The big time Špica; višek; vrhunec; slava; uspeh. Buy time Zavlačevati; pridobiti/kupiti čas. Crunch time Odločilni/kritični trenutek. Dead on time Biti (do minute) točen. Do/serve time Sedeti; biti v zaporu. Every time one turns around Vedno, ko je moţnost. Fall on hard times Imeti denarne teţave; obuboţati. For the nth time Ničkolikokrat; stokrat. Get time off for good behaviour Skrajšati zaporno kazen zaradi lepega vedenja. Give someone a hard/rough/bad Oteţevati komu ţivljenje; greniti komu time ţivljenje; povzročati preglavice/teţave. Have a good time Lepo se imej(te)! Uţivaj(te)! Have a hard/rough/bad time Biti teţko; povzročati teţave; s teţavo se (of it) soočati z nečim.

Have a lot of time for Dati klobuk dol pred kom/čim; občudovat (somebody/something). koga/kaj. Have a thin time (of it) Tanko/tenko piskati. Have a whale of a time Noro/fantastično/odlično se zabavati. Have an easy time of it Dobro se goditi; ne goditi se komu teţko. Have the time of one's life Noro se zabavati; dobro se imeti. In less than no time V hipu; kot bi trenil; takoj. In one's own good time Ko bo kdo pri volji nekaj storiti. In the nick of time V zadnjem hipu/trenutku; ravno še pravi čas. Kill time Preganjati dolgčas. Live on borrowed time Biti blizu smrti; biti komu/čemu šteti dnevi. Long time no see. Ţe celo večnost se nismo videli! Make good time Hitro napredovati. Make time (with someone) Osvajati koga; zapeljevati koga. Make up for lost time Nadoknaditi zamujeno. Make up the time Nadoknaditi zamujeno. Many is the time Marsikdaj; velikokrat. Mark time Začasno se ukvarjati s čim; preganjati čas. Next to no time V hipu; kot bi trenil; takoj.

Nine times out of ten AND V večini primerov; skoraj vedno. Ninety-nine times out of a hundred Not give someone the time of Ne zmeniti se za koga; biti neprijazen do day koga. Out of time (with someone or Izgubiti ritem. something) Overtime Nadure; nadurno delo; delo v podaljšanem delovnem času. Pass the time of day (with Poklepetati (s kom); izmenjati nekaj besed (s someone) kom). Play for time Zavlačevati.

The sands of time Iztekajoči se čas. Serve one‟s time Sluţiti v vojski, mornarici; prestajati zaporno kazen. Since time immemorial Ţe od nekdaj. Small-time Majhen; nepomemben. Stand the test of time Kljubovati zobu časa; ostati popularen; biti preverjen; (še vedno) dobro delovati. Time after time Kar naprej; vedno znova. Time and (time) again Kar naprej; vedno znova. Time hangs/lies heavy on Čutiti/občutiti dolgčas. someone‟s hands Time’s up! Čas je potekel! Time off Imeti/vzeti si prosto; odmor. Time out Premor; odmor; odjava koga/česa. Time out of mind Celo večnost; zelo dolgo. Two-time someone Prevarati; biti nezvest; varati koga (s kom). The womb of time Pred začetkom obstoja; v razvoju.

Table 4: English idioms denoting time with no Slovene equivalents

6 CONCLUSION

The choice of the topic for my diploma paper is based on my interest in English and Slovene phraseology. To be a true master of a language, one should also master the idioms of a language, not only grammar and vocabulary. When studying idioms, I discovered that the explanation in an ordinary dictionary is frequently not enough and that an idiom can only be understood in its context.

Our knowledge of language is not only knowledge of individual words, but of their predictable combinations, and of the cultural knowledge which these combinations often encapsulate. English is very rich in idiomatic expressions which present an essential part of the English language. It is important that foreign learners are careful when using idioms as different social and cultural backgrounds must be taken into account; we should use idioms with great care and accuracy. An inaccurate use of idiom may mean nothing to a native speaker and we could express ourselves wrongly or achieve even the opposite of what we want.

I used three different methods throughout my diploma paper: collecting and selecting data, data analysis and comparison. I learnt that idioms are usually culturally bound therefore it is impossible to expect that different languages will use the same idiomatic expressions. This is also the case with English and Slovene as they belong to different language families, which are influenced and dependent on different cultural backgrounds and customs. Other reason why we cannot find appropriate equivalents in Slovene for all English idioms are also the different historical and social backgrounds. In addition, geographical features may play a role in this too. Slovene generally has fewer idiomatic phrases than the English speaking countries. It is for this reason that English idioms often have to be translated into Slovene in a descriptive way rather than by idiomatic equivalents.

In the course of my research I have not only learnt a lot about the importance of English phraseology but also about richness, diversity and development of the language.

This diploma paper also has practical implications for translators who may find it useful while dealing with translating idioms from English to Slovene or vice versa.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Bojc, E. (1987). Pregovori in reki na Slovenskem. Ljubljana: DZS. Cacciari, C. and Tabossi, P. (1993). Idioms-Processing, structure and interpretation. Hillsdale: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates. Collins Cobuild Angleško-slovenski slovar BRIDGE. (2000). Ljubjana: DZS. Collins Cobuild Pocket Idioms Dictionary. (1996). Glasgow: Harper Collins Publishers. Collins, V.H. (1958). A second book of English Idioms with Explanations. Longmans, Green and Co Ltd. Collins, V.H. (1969). A third book of English Idioms with Explanations. Longmans, Green and Co Ltd. Collins Concise Dictionary. (1993). Glasgow: HarperCollins. Collins Plain English Dictionary. (1996). London: HarperCollins. Cowie, A.P., Mackin, R. and McCaig, I.R. (1993). Oxford dictionary of English idioms. Oxford: Oxford University Press. English Dictionary for speakers of Slovenian. (1992). Ljubljana: DZS. Freeman, W. (1973). A concise Dictionary of English Idioms. London: The English Universty Press Ltd. Gabrovšek, D. (2005). Words galore: aspects of general and Slovenian – English contrastive lexicoiogy. Ljubljana: Filozofska fakult eta Univerze v Ljubljani. Gramely S. and Patzold K.M. (2002). A survey of Modern English. New York: Routledge. Grad, A., Škerl, R. in Vitrovi, N. (1990). Veliki angleško- slovenski slovar. Ljubljana: DZS. Katamba, F. (2005). English words. Structure, history, usage. New York: Routledge. Krek, S. (2005:2006). Veliki angleško slovenski slovar Oxford. Ljubljana: DZS. Keber, J. (2003). Frazeološki slovar slovenskega jezika (poskusni zvezek). Ljubljana: ZRC SAZU. Lipka, L. (1990). An outline of English lexicology. Tubingen: Niemeyer.

Longman Dictionary of English Idioms. (1992). Harlow, London: Longman Group Ltd. McMordie, W. (1968). English Idioms and how to use them, London. Partridge, E. (1979). A Dictionary of Cliches. London: Routledge & Kegan Paul. Pavlica, J. (1960). Frazeološki slovar v petih jezikih. Ljubljana: DZS. Seidl, J. and McMordie, W. (1997). English Idioms - A fifth edition of English Idioms and How to use them. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Slovar slovenskega knjiţnega jezika. (2002). Ljubljana: DZS. Spears, R. A. and Kirkpatrick, B. (1993). NTC's English idioms dictionary. Lincolnwood: National Textbook Company. Spears, R. A. (2000). NTC's American idioms dictionary: the most practical reference for the everyday expressions of contemporary American English. Chicago: NTC Publishing Group. Warren, H. (1994). Oxford learner's dictionary of English idioms. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Worrall, A.J. (1975). English idioms for foreign students. London: Longman Group Limited.

APPENDICES

APPENDIX I: OTHER FIXED EXPRESSIONS DENOTING TIME

While I was looking for idioms denoting time, I came across some collocations and proverbs regarding this same topic. I found them very interesting from the cultural and linguistic point of view and decided to include them into my diploma paper as an appendix.

Proverbs and collocations can be called idiomatic due to their semantic opacity, but we also have to bear in mind the fuzzy dividing line between various fixed phrases. Many of them can be translated and compared to Slovene ones, while others have to be paraphrased as English and Slovene have different historical, cultural and social backgrounds.

- Appendix A: COLLOCATIONS - Appendix B: PROVERBS

Appendix A: COLLOCATIONS

I. Day

All day long Throughout the day; during the entire day. ○ I can‟t keep smiling all day long. ♦ Ves dan.

By day During the day. ○ By day, Marry worked in an office; by night, she took classes. ♦ Podnevi; čez dan.

By the day One day at a time. ○ I don‟t know when I‟ll have to leave town, so I rent this room by the day. ♦ Na dan.

Days running Days in a series. (Follows a number.) ○ I had a bad cold for 5 days running. ♦ Strnjeni dnevi; zaporedni dnevi.

The good old days [Informal] Back in an earlier time, which everyone remembers as a better time, even if it really wasn‟t. ○ The good old days didn‟t start until they had indoor bathrooms. ♦ Dobri stari časi.

Have a good day AND Have a nice day An expression said when parting or Proverb good-bye. (A cliché.) ○ Clerk: „Thank you.‟ Tom: „Thank you.‟ Clerk: „Have a nice day.‟ ♦ Lepo se imej. Lep dan še naprej.

In one‟s day/time During one‟s life; in the past, when a person was young, useful, successful, powerful, etc. ○ He had, in his day, been one of the greatest opera singers in the world. ♦ V svojih najboljših dneh/časih/letih.

It’s early days (yet) It is too soon to be certain about (the result of) something. ○ We look forward to the time when Europe will operate as a single economic unit, though of course it‟s early days yet. ♦ Preuranjeno je (še); prezgodaj je (še).

II. Hour

After hours After the regular closing time; after any normal or regular time, such as one‟s bedtime. ○ John got a job sweeping floors in the bank after hours. ♦ Izven delovnega časa; po uradnih urah.

At an/some unearthly hour At an inconvenient time, either very late or very early. ○ 'When does your flight to Tokyo connect?' At some unearthly hour – 5.30 a.m., I think. ♦ Ob nečloveški uri.

By the hour At each hour; after each hour. ○ The illness is getting worse by the hour. ♦ Iz ure v uro.

The early hours The hours from midnight until it gets light. ○ He died in the early hours of Saturday morning. ♦ Zgodnje jutranje ure.

In one‟s hour of need [Often humorous] When you really need help. ○ Where were you in my hour of need? Sitting in the pub with your friends. ♦ Ko je nekomu najhuje; ko kdo koga najbolj potrebuje.

Keep good/bad/regular hours Have a normal/bad daily routine; get up, go to bed/work etc. at usual/irregular times. ○ Mrs. Morris will only let rooms to students who keep regular hours. ♦ Imeti urejen urnik; drţati se rednih ur; iti spat vedno ob istem času.

Keep late hours To stay up or stay out until very late; to work late. (This can cause one to be late for appointments or responsibilities.) ○ If I didn‟t keep late ours, I wouldn‟t sleep so late in the morning. ♦ Ostati pokonci pozno v noč.

On the half hour At exactly 5.30, 6.30, etc. ○ Buses leave here for Oxford on the half hour. ♦ Ob pol (30 minut čez polno uro).

On the hour At each hour on the hour mark; at exactly one o'clock, two o'clock etc. ○ I expect to see you there on the hour, not one minute before and not one minute after. ♦ Ob uri; natančno ob polni uri.

One’s finest hour The period during which somebody, an institution, country, etc. achieves greatest success, receives credit or renown to a degree greater than at any other time. ○ Any man's finest hour, his greatest fulfilment to all he holds dear, is that moment when he has worked his heart out in a good cause and lies exhausted on the field of battle... ♦ Najboljši časi koga; najboljši trenutek koga.

Out of hours Before or after one‟s regular work time; during times when public houses are shut or a licence-holder may not sell alcoholic drinks. ○ There a small back parlour where the landlord will serve drinks out of hours to a privileged few. ♦ Izven delovnega časa; izven uradnih ur.

Rush hour The period of time when heavy traffic is moving into or out of a city. ○ This is the slowest rush hour I have ever been in. Traffic is almost in gridlock. ♦ Prometna konica.

III. Minute

At the last minute At the last possible opportunity for doing something; almost too late. ○ Please, don‟t make reservations at the last minute. ♦ Zadnjo minuto; v zadnji minuti; zadnji hip/čas/trenutek.

Have (got) a minute Have time/be available to do something. ○ I'll get you the information as soon as I've got a minute. ♦ Imeti minuto časa.

In (just) a minute Very soon; in a very short period of time. ○ I‟ll be with you in just a minute. I‟m on the phone. ♦ Takoj.

Just a minute [Informal] Only a short time; wait a short period of time. ○ „Is Mr Smith in his office?‟ „Just a minute, please, I‟ll check.‟ ♦ Samo trenutek; samo malo; trenutek.

The last minute The latest possible time before an important event; change one‟s plans at the last minute. ○ We always leave pacing to/till the last minute. ♦ Zadnji trenutek; zadnjo minuto; v zadnjem trenutku.

The minute (that) As soon as, immediately when something happens. ○ Call me the minute you get to town. ♦ Takoj; nemudoma.

Not for a/one minute [Informal] Not at all; definitely not; never. (Used to emphasize that the speaker definitely does or did not mean, want, or believe something.) ○ I didn‟t think for a minute that he was married. ♦ Sploh ne; niti slučajno.

This (very) minute Now; immediately. ○ „I said we must be going‟. „Yes, I heard you, but I didn‟t know you meant this very minute.‟ ♦ Takoj.

Wait a minute Used when one has just noticed something or has had a sudden idea. ○ Wait a minute, this isn‟t the right key. ♦ Čakaj malo; počakaj trenutek; samo trenutek; trenutek.

IV. Moment

(At) any moment (now) [Informal] Very soon; any time now. ○ The guest speaker hasn't arrived yet, but we're expecting him at any moment. Ah! Here he is now! ♦ Vsak hip.

At the last moment As late as possible; almost too late. ○ Why do you always have to arrive at the last moment? ♦ V zadnjem trenutku/hipu.

At the moment At the present time; now. ○ The secretary's on holiday, so we've got a temporary one at the moment. ♦ Trenutno.

For a moment Very briefly. ○ He might have popped in for a moment, since he was passing this way. ♦ Za trenutek.

For the moment For the present; for now; temporarily. ○ This solution is satisfactory for the moment. It‟ll have to be improved next week, however. ♦ Trenutno.

In a moment Very soon; quickly, almost immediately. ○ Just rest, dear. The doctor will be here in a moment. ♦ Takoj; v trenutku.

Just a moment [Informal] Wait for a short time. ○ „Is Mr Smith in his office?‟ „Just a minute, please, I‟ll check.‟ ♦ Samo trenutek; samo malo.

The last moment The latest possible time before an important event; change one‟s plans at the last minute. ○ We always leave pacing to/till the last minute. ♦ Zadnji trenutek.

A moment of weakness AND A weak moment A time when you do or agree to something you would not normally do. ○ I was on a very strict diet but in the moment of weakness I ate a cream cake. / In a weak moment I agreed to let him stay at our house, but later I wished I hadn‟t. ♦ Trenutek slabosti/šibkosti.

Never a dull moment Have etc. no lack of interesting, exciting, amusing etc. things to do or see. ○ We listened to Radio 4 over most of the holiday and there was never a dull moment and never a false note. ♦ Dolgčas mi pa res ni!; nikoli biti dolgčas.

Not for a moment [Informal] Not at all; not ever for a short amount of time; never. ○ I don‟t want you to leave. Not for a moment. ♦ Sploh ne; niti slučajo; niti za trenutek

Pick/choose one‟s moment [Sometimes ironic] Carefully choose the right time to do something. ○ I wanted to make sure she agreed, so I picked my moment, when she was in a good mood. ♦ Izbrati pravi trenutek.

Unguarded moment A moment in which one has forgotten to be careful in speech or action. ♦ Trenutek nepazljivosti

A weak moment (See A moment of weakness – p.9)

V. Night

All night long Throughout the whole night. ○ I couldn‟t sleep all night long. ♦ Vso noč.

At dead of night AND (In) the dead of (the) night In the quietest, darkest hours of the night, when everyone is asleep. ○ The thieves broke into the house at the dead of night. ♦ Sredi noči; v najbolj črni temi.

At night During the night. ○ Most people sleep at night. ♦ Ponoči.

By night During the night. ○ By day, Marry worked in an office; by night, she took classes. ♦ Zvečer; ponoči.

An early/a late night A night when one goes to bed earlier/later than usual. ○ You‟ve been having too many late nights recently. ♦ Iti zgodaj/pozno spat.

Morning, noon and night Repeatedly or constantly. ○ When Sally was a baby she used to cry morning, noon and night. ♦ Ves čas; kar naprej; non-stop.

Night night Good night (used by or to children). ○ „Night night, sleep tight.‟ ♦ Nočko.

A night out An evening spent enjoying oneself away from home; to go out for an evening of entertainment. ○ I feel like a change. We haven't had a night out for months. . ♦ Biti zvečer zunaj.

VI. Time

Ahead of time Earlier than expected; before the announced time. ○ If you show up ahead of time, you will have to wait. ♦ Prezgodaj; predčasno.

All the time 1. Throughout a specific period of time. 2. At all times; continuously. 3. Repeatedly; habitually. ○ 1. Bill was stealing money for the last two years, and Tom knew it all the time. ○ 2. Your blood keeps flowing all the time. ○ 3. She keeps a handkerchief in her hand all the time. ♦ Ves čas; kar naprej; neprenehoma; neprestano.

At a set time At a particular time; at an assigned time. ○ Do I have to be there at a set time, or can I come whenever I want? ♦ Ob točno določenem času.

At a time In sequence; separately. ○ They approached the President five at a time to receive their awards. ♦ Naenkrat; hkrati; istočasno.

At all times Constantly; continuously; always. ○ You must keep your passport handy at all times when you‟re travelling in a foreign country. ♦ Ves čas; v vsakem trenutku; neprenehoma.

At one and the same time Simultaneously; at the same time; at once. ○ You have to learn to watch the traffic ahead and keep your eye on the driving mirror at one and the same time. ♦ Hkrati; istočasno.

At one time A time in the past; during an unspecified period of past time. ○ At one time I used to play a lot of sport, but I seem to have lost interest now. ♦ Nekoč; v preteklosti.

At one time or another On an occasion or on occasions in the past, the precise time or date of which is not recalled, not given or not known. ○ He has indeed at one or another time argued both for and against most of the big changes in Turkey over the past thirty years. ♦ Ob neki priloţnosti; v nekem trenutku.

At one‟s time in life At one‟s (my, your, his, etc.) age. ○ He shouldn‟t be playing squash at his time of life. (ie He is too old for it.) ♦ V teh letih; v nekogaršnji starosti; pri nekogaršnjih letih.

At the appointed time At the announced or assigned time. ○ We all met at the hotel at the appointed time. ♦ Ob dogovorjenem času.

At the present time AND At this point (in time) Now; at present. (Used often as a wordy replacement for now.) ○ We don‟t know the location of the stolen car at the present time. Yes, it‟s sad, but there‟s nothing we can do at this point. / At this point in time it is hard to say how long the strike will last. ♦ V tem trenutku; trenutno; zdaj.

At the same time Nevertheless; however; yet; but. (Also literal.) ○ We agree to your demands. At the same time, we object strongly to your methods. ♦ Istočasno; hkrati; obenem; vseeno (pa); vendar (pa).

At the time Then; at that particular time in the past. ○ Looking back, I'm glad I didn't get the job in Algeria, but at the time I was disappointed of course. ♦ Takrat; v tistem trenutku.

At this point (in time) (See Appendix A, At the present time, p. 13)

At times Occasionally; sometimes. ○ I enjoy life as a bachelor, but I suppose I get a bit lonely at times. ♦ Včasih; na trenutke.

Before one‟s time Be before the period that a person can remember or was involved in. ○ The Beatles were a bit before my time! ♦ Prerano.

Behind the times [Informal, old-fashioned] Old-fashioned in one's thinking, ideas, dress etc. ○ Sarah is behind the times. Her clothes are quite old-fashioned. ♦ Zastarel; starokopiten; za časom.

Behind time Late. ○ The bus arrived five minutes behind time. ♦ Zamuja(ti).

Bide one's time To wait patiently for a favourable opportunity. ○ I‟ve been biding my time for years, just waiting for a chance like this. ♦ Čakati na pravi trenutek.

Born before one's time Said of persons of genius whose thinking or ability is more advanced than that of the society in which they live. ○ People like Columbus, Galileo and Einstein were all born before their time. ♦ Biti pred (svojim) časom.

By the time 1. When some process has been completed, or an event has taken place; by then. 2. As a result of some action or series of events. ○ 1. By the time we got to Goldhawk Road it was nearly dark. ♦ Do trenutka.

Closing/opening time The end/start of the two statutory periods (GB) when public houses or bars may legally sell or service alcoholic drinks. ○ It was nearly closing time, and she began to make sandwiches for lunch. She heard Joe lock and close the front door. She heard him stop in the bar and pour himself another drink, which he brought into the kitchen. ♦ Zapiralni/odpiralni čas.

Every time [Informal] Whenever possible; whenever a choice can be made. ○ People have different notions of how they like to spend a holiday but I‟d settle for a quiet seaside place every time. ♦ Vsakokrat; vsakič; vselej; vedno; kadarkoli

Fight against time To hurry to meet a deadline or to do something quickly. ○ All the students fought against time to complete the test. ♦ Tekmovati s časom; biti boj s časom. V tekmi s časom, v naglici.

For the time being For the present time, until something else happens/is arranged etc.; for now; temporarily. ○ This is all right for the time being. It‟ll have to be improved next week, however. ♦ Zaenkrat; za zdaj; trenutno.

From time to time Not often, occasionally, sometimes, now and then. ○ From time to time a visitor comes to our door. ♦ Včasih; od časa do časa; kdaj pa kdaj.

Half the time [Informal] Most of the time. ○ Half the time, I don‟t understand a word he says. ♦ Polovico časa.

Hard times Times of poverty, suffering, or discomfort. ○ He went through hard times when he was young. ♦ Hudi časi; teţki časi.

In due time In a normal or expected amount of time. ○ The roses will bloom in due time. ♦ Ob svojem času; ko bo (pravi) čas za to.

In good time Within a reasonable period of time; early. ○ Make sure you get there in good time to buy your tickets. ♦ Veliko prej; veliko prezgodaj; pravi čas; pravočasno.

In no time (at all) [Informal] Very quickly; soon; in a very short time. ○ „The heel's come off my shoe.‟ „No problem. This glue will stick it back on in no time at all.‟ ♦ Takoj; nemudoma.

In time 1. At some time in the future; sooner or later; eventually. 2. (With something) keeping in rhythm or cadence with music. 3. Before the deadline, before the last minute; not late. ○ 1. Marion's fiancé has broken off their engagement. She's very upset at the moment, but she'll feel better in time. ○ 2. I‟m trying to play in time. ○ 3. I hope she gets here in time to see the show's opening number. ♦ Pravočasno; pravi čas; sčasoma; postopoma.

It’s high time! [Informal] It is past time (for or someone or something); (Someone or something) is overdue. ○ It‟s high time that you got recognition for what you do! ♦ Zadnji čas je!

Keep good/perfect time Show the time correctly (referring to a watch/clock). ○ This clock was given to us as a wedding present twenty years ago, and it still keeps perfect time. ♦ Biti točen; ne zamujati; pravilno delati; kazati pravilen/točen čas.

Keep time 1. To maintain musical rhythm. 2. To keep watch over time in a game or an athletic contest 3. [For a clock or watch] to keep track of time accurately. ○ 1. Bob had to drop out of the band because he couldn‟t keep time. ○ 2. Ann kept time at all the basketball games. ○ 3. This watch doesn‟t keep time. ♦ Drţati takt/ritem/korak; biti točen; skrbeti za točen čas.

Lose/waste no time (in doing something) Do something quickly and without delay. ○ As soon as she arrived back home, she lost no time in visiting all her old friends. ♦ Izgubljati nič časa; zapravljati nič časa; takoj narediti kaj.

Of all time That there has ever been made, lived etc., or that will ever be. ○ Mozart was, after all, not a mere purveyor of music but one of the supreme dramatic geniuses of all time. ♦ Vseh časov.

On time At the scheduled time; at the predicted time; neither early nor late, be punctual. ○ Don't be late. Make sure you're on time. ♦ Točno; pravočasno.

Pressed for time In a hurry; have little time. ○ Sorry I can't stop for a chat. I'm extremely pressed for time at the moment ♦ Biti v časovni stiski.

Quality time Time spent with someone allowing interaction and closeness. ○ He was able to spend a few minutes of quality time with his son, Buxton, at least once every two weeks. ♦ Koristno preţivet čas s partnerjem ali otroki.

Race against time (also work) 1. A rush; rushing to beat the deadline. 2. To hurry to beat the deadline. ○ 1. We were in race against time to beat the deadline. ○ 2. We had to race against time to finish before the deadline. ♦ Biti v tekmi s časom; biti v naglici; hiteti.

A sign of the times [Informal] A typical characteristic of present; something that shows the way the world is changing. ○ Seventy per cent of last year‟s graduates are still unemployed – a sign of the times, I‟m afraid. ♦ Znak časa.

Stall for time To cause a delay intentionally. ○ You are just stalling for time. ♦ Pridobivati čas.

Stated time A time already fixed. ○ At the stated time the ship will leave the harbour. ♦ Določen čas.

Take one's time To use as much time (to do something) as one wants; not to hurry ○ Just calm down, take your time and tell me exactly what happened. ♦ Vzeti si čas; ne hiteti.

Take the time (to do something) To spend enough time to do something. ○ If you take the time to read the directions carefully, you won't have any trouble installing the software. ♦ Vzeti si čas (za nekaj).

Take time out [Informal] To spend time away from studying or working. ○ He‟s taking time out between school and university. ♦ Vzeti si odmor.

Take up someone‟s time To require too much of someone else‟s time; to waste someone‟s time. (Also with so much of or too much of). ○ You‟re taking up my time. Please, go away. ♦ Jemati čas komu.

Take up time To require or fill time. (Also without up.) ○ This kind of thing always takes up time. ♦ Dolgo trajati; vzeti veliko časa.

Tell time 1. To keep or report the correct time. 2. To be able to read time from a clock or a watch. ○ 1. This clock doesn‟t tell time very accurately. ○ 2. Billy is only four. He can‟t tell time yet. ♦ Znati povedati, koliko je ura; vedeti, koliko je ura.

This time last/next year etc. Last/next year at this time/date. ○ The students may be a bit wild and woolly when they first arrive, but they‟ll soon settle down. And if they don‟t, they‟ll be gone before this time next year. ♦ Preteklo/prihodnje leto ob tem času.

Waste one‟s time Cause someone to do nothing, or something useless, unwanted, unimportant etc., when some necessary or worthwhile action is needed. ○ The chassis‟s rotten with rust, sir. It would be a waste of my time and your money to try to repair it. ♦ Tratiti čas komu; potrata časa koga.

Appendix B: PROVEBS

I. Day

An apple a day keeps the doctor away. [Old-fashioned] If a person eats an apple every day he will remain healthy and free from any illness. ○ Grandma always fed us lots of apples when we visited her. She believed that an apple a day keeps the doctor away. ♦ Jabolko na dan preţene zdravnika stran.

Every day, in every way. One can improve, is improving, one‟s life gradually over a period of time by means of constant self-examination. ○ Every day, in every way, we‟re getting better and better. ♦ Popolnoma v vseh pogledih.

Every dog has its day. Every person, however unfortunate or unimportant, has a time in his life when he is successful or victorious. ○ Don‟t worry, you‟ll get chosen for the team. Every dog has its day. ♦ Tudi slepa ura zrno najde. Vsakomur se enkrat nasmehne sreča.

The longest day must have an end. Any period of unhappiness, failure, etc., however lasting it seems, must finally come to an end. ♦ Tudi slab dan se mora enkrat končati.

Rome wasn’t built in a day A proverb meaning that important or complex things don‟t happen overnight. ○ Don‟t expect a lot to happen right away. Rome wasn‟t built in a day, you know. ♦ Rima niso zgradili v enem dnevu. Čudeţ se ne zgodi čez noč.

There aren’t enough hours in the day. There are too many things to do and not enough time. ○ I‟m behind in all my work. There aren‟t enough hours in the day! ♦ Dan ima premalo ur; primanjkovati časa.

Tomorrow is another day. There will be other days, on which a new start is can be made. ♦ Jutri je nov dan.

II. Hour

The darkest hour is that/comes before the dawn. It is often when things seem to be at their worst that they improve. ○ Don‟t give up. Try to believe that the darkest hour is that before the dawn. Tomorrow, or the next day, something may happen that will make you feel live is worth living after all. ♦ Slabše kot je sedaj ne more biti.

There aren’t enough hours in the day. (See Appendix B, p. 23)

III. Minute

There’s one born every minute! [Colloquial] Used as a comment on how easily somebody has been/can be deceived. ○ You really believed he would pay you that money back? There‟s one born every minute! ♦ Nekateri so pač lahkoverni/naivni. Cepcev pa res nikoli ne zmanjka.

IV. Night

A red sky at night is the shepherd’s delight. The appearance of a red sky in the evening is a sign that there will be fine weather on the following day. ♦ Rdeče večerno nebo, vreme bo lepo.

V. Time

Better luck next time! May you succeed on some other future occasion. ○ „So the party was dismal. Never mind! Better luck next time!‟ „It wasn‟t the party that was wrong. It was me.‟ ♦ Več sreče prihodnjič!

Other times, other manners. In other, or different, times, customs were different also (from the French expression autres temps, autres moeurs). ○ Amy thought her grandchildren addressed their friends in startlingly rude terms. „But then,‟ she reflected, „other times, other manners.‟ ♦ Drugi časi, drugi običaji.

Procrastination is the thief of time. If you put off doing what you ought to do, you will end up not having enough time to do it properly. ○ Jim: Have you started looking for a job yet? Jane: Oh, that can wait till tomorrow. Jim: Procrastination is the thief of time. ♦ Kar lahko storiš danes, ne odlašaj na jutri.

A stitch in time saves nine. An early action to repair something damaged can save a lot of time because if the damage is left to get worse the repair will take longer. ○ Get the roof repaired when there‟s only one slate missing. A stitch in time saves nine. ♦ Bolje (je) preprečiti kot zdraviti; problem je treba ţe v kali zatreti.

There’s always (a) next time. There will always be another chance (usually used to encourage someone whose first attempt at doing something has failed). ♦ Še bo priloţnost. Drugič bo bolje.

There’s a first time for everything. [Humorous] The fact that something has not happened before does not mean that it will never happen. ○ „The flood water has never reached the house before.‟ „Well, there‟s a first time for everything.‟ ♦ Vse je enkrat prvič.

There's no time like the present. If something has to be done, it is best to do it now rather than later. ○ „I ought to apologize to Barry for being rude to him.‟ „Yes, you should. And there's no time like the present.‟ ♦ Zdaj je (pravi) čas! Ne odlašaj na jutri, kar lahko storiš danes.

There’s no time to lose AND There’s no time to be lost Something that you say when it is important to do something immediately. ○ You must act quickly: come on, there‟s no time to lose! The plane leaves in half an hour! ♦ Ne imeti časa; ne izgubljati časa.

Third time's the charm. The third time you try to do something, it will work. ○ Jill: I've called Miriam twice, but she doesn't answer her phone. Jane: Try again. The third time's the charm. ♦ V tretje gre rado.

Third time lucky. At the third attempt one will be successful („3‟ being thought of as a „lucky number‟). ○ Jane now has a new man in her life. Marriage again, third time lucky? ♦ V tretje gre rado.

Time and tide wait for no man The natural progress of time will continue without regard to man, so one must take advantage of chances offered (often said simply to hurry someone or as one gets ready to leave) ○ Hurry up or we'll miss the bus! Time and tide wait for no man. ♦ Priloţnost zamujena ne vrne se nobena.

Time flies! Time passes very/too quickly. (From the Latin tempus fugit.) ○ Goodness, it's six o'clock! Time flies! We've been chatting all afternoon! ♦ Čas beţi.

Time is a great healer. Emotional pain will grow less as time passes. ○ You may think your heart is broken and you can never possibly love again, but time is a great healer. ♦ Čas zaceli vse rane.

Time is money. Time, like money, is valuable and shouldn‟t be wasted. ○ I can‟t afford to spend a lot of time standing here talking. Time is money, you know! ♦ Čas je denar. Čas je zlato.

The time is ripe. Exactly the right time has come. ○ Since Joe was in a good mood, I judged that the time was ripe to ask him for the favour I needed. ♦ Prišel je pravi trenutek.

Time will tell. Something will become known in the course of time. ○ I don‟t know if things will improve. Time will tell. ♦ Čas bo pokazal (svoje).

Time works wonders. The passing of time can resolve many problems. ○ You'll change your mind eventually. Time works wonders. ♦ Čas dela čudeţe.