day

Idioms

all in a day’s work

1. part of your normal working life and not unusual
   • Swimming with sharks or training a tiger cub—it's all in a day's work for animal wrangler Chris Bolton.

any day (now) | any time now

1. (informal) very soon
   • The letter should arrive any day now.
   • We expect more info on this any time now.

at the end of the day

 

1. (informal) used to introduce the most important fact after everything has been considered
   • At the end of the day, he'll still have to make his own decision.

back in the day

1. in the past
   • My dad's always talking about how great everything was back in the day.

back in the days

1. at a particular time in the past
   • I was a fan back in the days when the band wasn't yet famous.

break of day/dawn

1. (literary) the moment in the early hours of the morning when it begins to get light

call it a day

1. (informal) to decide or agree to stop doing something
   • After forty years in politics I think it's time for me to call it a day (= to retire).

carry/win the day

1. (formal) to be successful against somebody/something
   • Despite strong opposition, the ruling party carried the day.
   • Teamwork and persistence can still win the day.
   Topics Successc2

(as) clear as day

1. easy to see or understand

day after day

1. each day repeatedly (used especially when something is boring or annoying)
   • She hates doing the same work day after day.

day and night

(also night and day)

1. all the time; continuously
   • The store is open day and night.
   • The machines are kept running night and day.

day by day

1. all the time; a little at a time and gradually
   • Day by day his condition improved.
   • Morale was sinking day by day.

day in, day out

1. every day for a long period of time
   • Living on junk food day in day out is not good for you.
   Topics Timec2

a day of reckoning

1. the time when somebody will have to deal with the result of something that they have done wrong, or be punished for something bad that they have done

somebody’s/something’s days are numbered

1. a person or thing will not continue to live, exist or be successful for much longer
   • His days as leader of the party are numbered.
   • Whatever the protests, the school’s days are numbered and it will be closed down.
   Topics Difficulty and failurec2

end your days/life (in something)

1. to spend the last part of your life in a particular state or place
   • He ended his days in poverty.

every dog has his/its day

1. (saying) everyone has good luck or success at some point in their lifeTopics Successc2

the evil hour/day

1. (often humorous) the time when you have to do something difficult or unpleasant
   • I’d better go and see the dentist—I can’t put off the evil hour any longer.
   • If you keep on borrowing, you are only postponing the evil day when you have to pay it all back.

five a day

1. (especially British English) the amount of fruit or vegetables that some organizations say you should eat in order to be healthy
   • Start your five a day with a banana for breakfast.

from day one

1. (informal) from the beginning
   • It's never worked from day one.
   • This game makes reading and spelling fun from day one.

from day to day

1. with no thoughts or plans for the future
   • They live from day to day, looking after their sick daughter.
2. if a situation changes from day to day, it changes often
   • A baby's need for food can vary from day to day.
   Topics Timec2

from one day to the next

1. if a situation changes from one day to the next, it is uncertain and not likely to stay the same each day
   • I never know what to expect from one day to the next.
   Topics Timec2

from that day/time forth

1. (literary) beginning on that day; from that time
   • From that day forth she gave me endless friendship and encouragement.
   Topics Timec2

give me something/somebody (any day/time)

1. (informal) used to say that you prefer a particular thing or person to the one that has just been mentioned
   • We don't go out much. Give me a quiet night in front of the TV any day!
   Topics Preferences and decisionsc2

your good deed for the day

1. a helpful, kind thing that you do
   • I took Sarah’s children to school so I’ve done my good deed for the day.
   • She felt that she had done her good deed for the day.

the good/bad old days

1. an earlier period of time in your life or in history that is seen as better/worse than the present
   • That was in the bad old days of rampant inflation.

have had your day

1. to no longer be successful, powerful, etc.
   • She's had her day as a supermodel.
   Topics Difficulty and failurec2

have a nice day!

1. (informal, especially North American English) a friendly way of saying goodbye, especially to customers

have seen/known better days

1. (humorous) to be in poor condition
   • Our car has seen better days!

if he’s, she’s, etc. a day

1. (informal) (used when talking about somebody’s age) at least
   • He must be 70 if he's a day!

in all my born days

1. (old-fashioned, informal) used when you are very surprised at something you have never heard or seen before
   • I've never heard such nonsense in all my born days.

in the cold light of day

1. when you have had time to think calmly about something; in the morning when things are clearer
   • These things always look different in the cold light of day.

in somebody’s day

1. during the part of somebody’s life when they were most successful, famous, etc.
   • She was a great dancer in her day.
   • Things were very different in my grandfather's day.
   Topics Successc1
2. when somebody was young
   • In my day, there were plenty of jobs when you left school.
   • In Grandfather’s day, owning a television was very unusual.

in the olden days

(also in olden times)

1. a long time ago in the past
   • What was life like in the olden days, Gran?

in this day and age

1. now, in the modern world
   • Slavery continues to exist, even in this day and age.
   • Why dress so formally in this day and age?

it’s early days (yet) | it's still early days

1. (British English) used to say that it is too soon to be sure how a situation will develop
   • It’s early days yet. We don’t know if the play will be a success.
   Topics Doubt, guessing and certaintyc2

it’s not somebody’s day

1. (informal) used when several bad or unpleasant things happen on the same day
   • My car broke down and then I locked myself out—it's just not my day!

late in the day

(North American English also late in the game)

1. (disapproving) after the time when an action could be successful
   • He started working hard much too late in the day—he couldn't possibly catch up.

the livelong day

1. (literary) the whole length of the day

live to fight another day

1. (saying) used to say that although you have failed or had a bad experience, you will continue

make somebody’s day

1. to make somebody feel very happy on a particular day
   • The phone call from Mike really made my day.
   Topics Feelingsc1

make a day/night of it

1. (informal) to make a particular activity that you enjoy last for a whole day/evening instead of only part of it
   • We took a picnic lunch to the river and made a day of it.
   • They decided to make a night of it and went on to a club.

night and day

(also day and night)

1. all the time; continuously
   • The machines are kept running night and day.
   • The store is open day and night.

a nine days’ wonder

1. a person or thing that makes people excited for a short time but does not last very long

not give somebody the time of day

1. to refuse to speak to somebody because you do not like or respect them
   • Since the success of her novel, people shake her hand who once wouldn't have given her the time of day.

not have all day

1. to not have much time
   • Come on! We don't have all day!

of somebody’s day

1. during a particular period of time when somebody lived
   • the best player of his day
   • Bessie Smith was the Madonna of her day.

of the day

1. of the present time
   • the political issues of the day
2. that is served on a particular day in a restaurant
   • soup of the day

oh my days

1. used to emphasize what you are saying when you are surprised, shocked or annoyed
   • Oh my days! Is that true?

one day

1. at some time in the future, or on a particular day in the past
   • One day, I want to leave the city and move to the country.
   • One day, he walked out of the house with a small bag and never came back.

one of these days

1. before a long time has passed
   • One of these days you'll come back and ask me to forgive you.

one of those days

1. (informal) a day when there are a lot of mistakes and a lot of things go wrong
   • It's been one of those days!
   • It's been one of those days when everything's gone wrong.

the order of the day

1. common, popular or suitable at a particular time or for a particular occasion
   • Pessimism seems to be the order of the day.

the other day/morning/evening/week

1. recently
   • I saw Jack the other day.
   • I was in your area the other week.
   • I woke up the other morning and just could not get myself out of bed.
   • I was watching TV the other evening, when…

pass the time of day (with somebody)

1. to say hello to somebody and have a short conversation with them

(as) plain as a pikestaff | (as) plain as day | (as) plain as the nose on your face

1. very obvious

Rome wasn’t built in a day

1. (saying) used to say that a complicated task will take a long time and should not be rushed

your salad days

1. (old-fashioned) the time when you are young and do not have much experience of life

save the day/situation

1. to prevent failure or defeat, when this seems certain to happen
   • Salah's late goal saved the day for Liverpool.
   Topics Successc2

save, keep, etc. something for a rainy day

1. to save something, especially money, for a time when you will really need it

some day

1. at an unknown time in the future
   • Some day I'll be famous.
   • I hope we meet again some day.

take it/things one day at a time

1. (informal) to not think about what will happen in the future
   • I don't know if he'll get better. We're just taking it one day at a time.

that’ll be the day

1. (informal, ironic) used when you are saying that something is very unlikely to happen
   • Paul? Apologize? That'll be the day!

these days

1. (informal) used to talk about the present, especially when you are comparing it with the past
   • These days kids grow up so quickly.

those were the days

1. (informal) used to suggest that a time in the past was happier or better than now

to the day

1. exactly
   • It's been three years to the day since we met.

to this day

1. even now, when a lot of time has passed
   • To this day, I still don't understand why he did it.