Idioms and expressions with the word “clock” in them

Posted on by rjoiner2021
Kienzle World Time clock
Kienzle World Time clock

This is the weekend in maritime Canada that we turn the clocks back. We have an expression, “Spring forward, fall behind”. It means that on November 6th we move from Atlantic Daylight Savings Time (DST) to Standard Time, back one hour. Consequently we have “an extra hour of daylight” in the morning, good for farmers, I suppose. We move the clocks ahead in the spring. Not every region in Canada observes DST, however.

Not many people realize that Sir Sandford Fleming, a Canadian engineer and inventor, proposed Standard time and world wide time zones. Although he was born in Scotland he immigrated to Canada at the age of 14. In his later years he was employed by the Grand Trunk Railway which led him on the path to standardized time zones for the railway.

I decided to dedicate this blog to Standard Time and the many idioms and expressions with the word “clock” in them.

  • The clock is ticking
  • Beat the clock
  • Turn the clock back
  • Wind back the clock
  • Run out (or down) the clock
  • A stopped clock is correct twice a day
  • Clean (someone’s) clock
  • On the clock
  • Biological clock is ticking
  • Watch the clock
  • He’s (she’s) a clock watcher
  • Punch the clock
  • Around the clock
  • Stop the clock!
  • Race against the clock
  • As regular as clockwork (or, running like clockwork)
  • Face that could stop a clock
  • Five o’clock shadow
  • Hickory dickory dock the mouse went up the clock
  • One, two, three o’clock four o’clock rock
  • Rock around the clock

Did I miss any? let me know.