I’m not the only one to pursue the question. When I started emailing people in the book publishing world to see if they could tell me why this tradition exists, I received multiple responses along the lines of, “I’m not sure I have much to say.” As a book marketing convention, “A Novel” is so common that it hardly seems worth remarking on. “Duh,” you may think, though it’s possible the phrase won’t cause more than a faint blip on your radar, too small to register as a thought. “ The Mars Room: A Novel,” “ Little Fires Everywhere: A Novel,” “ Purity: A Novel.” Let me try again – the third time’s the charm.As you circulate around your neighborhood bookstore or trawl the fiction section of Amazon, your eyes may sweep across the words “A Novel” on many a cover.
I’ve called her twice, but she hasn’t answered. third time’s the charm = the third time you try something, it will work (when the previous two attempts have failed) In order to meet the deadline, you need to send us the contract by Monday – time is of the essence. time is of the essence = correct timing is very important (often used for things that are urgent) Right now she’s very upset that her boyfriend broke up with her, but you know what they say: Time heals all wounds. Your son is already 12 years old? I remember when he was a baby! How time flies…Īnother expression: “Time flies when you’re having fun” – Time passes more quickly when you’re doing something you enjoy time heals all wounds = the passing of time makes emotional injuries get better She made it to the big time with the launch of her latest novel – it sold hundreds of thousands of copies in the first week.
You two-timing bastard! You’ve been seeing another woman for the entire time we’ve been engaged! the big time = the highest or most profitable level Ripe fruit is at the perfect moment to eat! two-time = deceive, betray, or cheat someone Real estate prices are low, and we have a lot of money saved up – I think the time is ripe for us to buy a house. the time is ripe = it is the best time to do something “Only time will tell.“ stand the test of time = last for a long time and continue to be successful “I was surprised that Bill and Jackie got married. time will tell = the passing of time will show the result, whether good or bad The company has lost money for the third year in a row it’s only a matter of time before it goes bankrupt. “ All in good time… just keep working hard and you’ll make it.” only a matter of time = it will definitely happen sooner or later “Why is it taking so long for my career to take off?” He must have a lot of time on his hands! all in good time = it will happen when the time is right, so be patient That guy completely covered the walls of his room with colored pencil drawings.
Could I call you back in an hour? have a lot of time on your hands = have a lot of free time (maybe too much) Hi Peter! You caught me at a bad time – I’m about to go into a meeting. catch at a bad time = attempt to speak to someone in a moment that is inconvenient for him/her He was just biding his time until he got a chance to work at his dream job. bide your time until = wait patiently for a good opportunity
I’m having a devil of a time trying to install this software – every time I try, I get a different error message. have a devil/hell of a time = a very difficult experience My kids had the time of their lives at Disney World. have the time of your life = have a super wonderful experience We got to the airport in the nick of time – if we’d arrived 15 minutes later, we would’ve missed our flight. In the nick of time = at the last moment before it’s too late. The last day for submitting project proposals is one week from today – so now it’s a race against time.
behind the times = old-fashioned, not keeping up with current developmentsīob is a bit behind the times – he doesn’t know how to use a computer, much less a smartphone! a race against time = a situation when you need to rush to do something before the deadline (time limit) My grandmother was ahead of her time – she opened her own company in an era when there were few women in the business world. English Idioms Course ahead of one’s time = having ideas or attitudes that are too advanced for the culture/society at the moment