give the time of day

verb

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

“If you're lucky, she might give you the time of day.”

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Meanings

verbgive the time of day (third-person singular simple present gives the time of day, present participle giving the time of day, simple past gave the time of day, past participle given the time of day)

present singular third person gives the time of day · participle present giving the time of day · past gave the time of day · participle past given the time of day

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

    If you're lucky, she might give you the time of day.

    1 more example

    But meet him now, and be it in the Morne, / When euery one will giue the time of day, / He knits his Brow and ſhewes an angry Eye, / And paſſeth by with ſtiffe vnbowed Knee, / Diſdaining dutie that to vs belongs.

    1591 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Second Part of Henry the Sixt, […]”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies. […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act III, scene i], page 130, column 2
  2. idiomaticTo not acknowledge someone; to snub someone; to disrespect someone; to ignore someone.

    He won't give the time of day to someone like you or me.

    2 more examples

    I tried to say "hi", but she wouldn't give me the time of day.

    "Daddy, please," Leanne laughed, "Give Linds a little credit. She wouldn't give the time of day to someone like Connor."

    2005, Carole Dillane Krajeski, 99% of the Time, →ISBN, page 270
  3. datedliterallyTo tell someone the time of day by looking at one's wristwatch, etc.

Origin

According to some, the expression originally literally referred to greeting someone with the obsolete greeting "good time of day", or other greeting appropriate to the time of day (e.g., good morning, good afternoon, good evening), and only later acquired an association with telling someone the time, along with its idiomatic sense.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Finnish sanoa päivää, tervehtiä
  • sanoa päivääto acknowledge somebody
  • tervehtiäto acknowledge somebody
Polish zwracać na kogoś uwagę, zwrócić na kogoś uwagę
  • zwracać na kogoś uwagęto acknowledge somebody
  • zwrócić na kogoś uwagęto acknowledge somebody
Spanish dar bola, dar pelota / piola
  • dar bolato acknowledge somebody
  • dar pelota / piolato acknowledge somebody
  • poner bolasto acknowledge somebody
  • parar bolato acknowledge somebody
  • parar bolasto acknowledge somebody
Cite this entry
APA

give the time of day. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/give%20the%20time%20of%20day

MLA

“give the time of day.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/give%20the%20time%20of%20day. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “give the time of day,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/give%20the%20time%20of%20day.

Source: give the time of day on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.