Did a friend tell you they’re coming to your place to kill time before they meet someone else? This post unpacks the meaning and origin of this expression.
Meaning
The expression ‘kill time’ or ‘killing time’ means you have time to waste before starting an important task, meeting with someone, or waiting for an event. Typically, you’ll be doing menial tasks when you’re killing time, such as sitting on the couch.
If you’re killing time, you’re not doing anything constructive or worthwhile that adds value to your life. You’re waiting for the time to pass. You can kill time by yourself or with other people. In most cases, ‘killing time’ refers to a short waiting period before conducting an important activity.
Example Usage
"I took the kids to the park for an hour to kill time while we waited for the movie to start. It was a great way to burn them out. They fell asleep halfway through the film."
"I'm just killing time at home before I have to meet the girls at the bar. I'm thinking about what to wear and the guys I'll meet there this evening."
"If you think you can kill time and do nothing at work, maybe I need to alter your job description to give you more responsibility. I'm not paying you to sit around and do nothing."
"Let's head to the mall and kill time before we wait for the restaurant to open for dinner. I saw something cool I want to buy at the Gucci store."
"Let's visit Jeremey and kill time while we wait for the skatepark to open. We have a half hour before they open the gates."
"The boss expects me to wait at the office for the clients to arrive at seven. It's only five now, so I'm killing time for the next few hours."
Origin
The expression 'kill time' or 'killing time' originates from the late 1500s. The first example of the phrase in writing comes from 'A booke of fishing with hooke & line,' published in 1590 by Leonard Mascall, which reads as follows.
"a great number there is in this realm which governs waters that spares no time to kill, nor cares for no time to save, but takes at all times, which maketh freshe fishe so deare, and so scant in riuers and running waters."
The term 'kill time' first appears in 1694 in a book describing Pantagruel's 'Voyage to the oracle of the bottle.' The original text is in French, with Peter Anthony Mottereux translating it to English. The expression appears as follows.
"Then breaking this obstinate silence, he briskly and cheerfully ask'd him, how a man should kill time and raise good weather during a calm at sea?"
Phrases Similar to Kill Time
- Sit on your hands.
- Pass the time.
- Idle away.
Phrases Opposite to Kill Time
- Fully engaged.
- No time to waste.
What is the Correct Saying?
- Kill time.
- Killing time.
Ways People May Say Kill Time Incorrectly
The expression 'kill time' doesn't refer to the action of killing anything. It's physically impossible to kill time. By saying you're 'killing' time, you're implying you're waiting for the start of an event or an important activity.
Acceptable Ways to Phrase Kill Time
You can use the expression 'kill time' in professional and social conversations. You could tell your partner you're taking the kids to the park to 'kill time before the movie starts in a few hours. You could tell your boss you're 'killing time' before the clients arrive by tweaking the spreadsheets for the meeting.
You could use 'killing time' to describe the action of chilling on the couch doing nothing or completing minor tasks that are not important while you wait for something else more significant to occur in your life. The phrase suits text-based and verbal communications. The terms' killing time' and 'kill time' have the same meaning.