Giving the time of day

"I wouldn't give him the time of day" is a common expression of scorn, but what exactly does it mean? How can you give -- or not give -- someone the "time" of day? I used to think it meant telling someone what time it was in response to a question: if you liked the person who asked, you would oblige and if not, you would ignore him. But the expression goes far back beyond the time when people wore watches or had easy access to clocks.  In Shakespeare's day, the meaning was quite clear. "Good time of day" or "fair time of day" was a salutation just like "good morning" or "good evening" (which are also called "time of day" salutations).

Here are some Shakespearean examples of the generic "time of day" greeting:

But meet him now, and, be it in the morn,  
When everyone will give the time of day,  
He knits his brow and shows an angry eye,  
And passeth by with stiff unbowed knee,  
Disdaining duty that to us belongs. Hen. VI. Part Two III.i

Good time of day vnto your Royall Grace. Rich. III, I. iii

To our Sister Health and faire time of day. Hen. V, V. ii.

We no longer greet people by saying  "good time of day," but we still use the idea of giving such a greeting as a sign of favorable attention. In other words, refusing to give someone the time of day is thinking so little of him that you would not say hello to him on the street.

 

Comments

[MC]

I'm thankful that you give us time of day every day! {{MMuahh!}}

[gail]

Muah MC