English Vocabulary in Use Advanced » Unit 60: Time: once in a blue moon
We only meet once in a blue moon. [very infrequently]
He’s spent all his born days in the village. [all his life]
I’ll be with you in a mo / in a sec / in a tick / in less than no time / in a jiffy. [very soon] (mo and sec are short for ‘moment’ and ‘second’)
Clive’s been working here for donkey’s years / since the year dot. [for a long time]
We can talk about this till the cows come home, but I’m not going to change my mind. [for ever]
Are you sure she gave you the book for keeps / for good? [to keep for ever]
She turned up just in the nick of time – she very nearly missed the train. [only just in time]
He was a famous athlete but now he’s over the hill / past it. [too old]
She was a child film star but was already a has-been by the age of 20. [person who is no longer famous]
Sue did her homework in a flash / at a rate of knots. [very quickly]
| adjective | meaning | common collocations |
| fleeting | brief or quick | glimpse, visit, smile, moment, appearance |
| lengthy | continuing for a long time | process, investigation, discussions, negotiations, delays |
| transient | lasting for only a short time; formal | effect, population, feeling, pleasure |
| persistent | lasting for a long time or hard to stop or get rid of | cough, problems, rumour, smell, accusations, critic, offender, failure, gossip |
| inexorable | continuing without hope of being stopped; formal | rise, slide, decline, pressure, advance of time |
| incipient | just beginning; formal | panic, rage, rebellion, stages, wrinkles, dementia |
| protracted | lasting for a long time or made to last longer; formal | negotiations, discussions, argument |
| lingering | taking a long time to leave or disappear | perfume, kiss, smile |
Terrorists carried out simultaneous attacks on three places in the capital. [happening at the same time]
Schools were closed for the duration of the President’s visit. [amount of time that it lasted]
We shouldn’t prolong the meeting; we’ve already discussed the matter for an hour. [make it last longer]
I’m sorry, I can’t change the date at such short notice. [just a short time before it is due to happen]
The teacher repeatedly warned the student that she would fail her exam. [many times]
The words you need to communicate with confidence. Vocabulary explanations and practice for elementary level (A2) learners of English. Perfect for both self-study and classroom activities. Quickly expand your vocabulary with 60 units of easy to understand explanations and practice exercises.
The words you need to communicate with confidence. Vocabulary explanations and practice for pre-intermediate and intermediate level (B1) learners of English. Perfect for both self-study and classroom activities. Quickly expand your vocabulary with 100 units of easy to understand explanations and practice exercises.
The words you need to communicate with confidence. Vocabulary explanations and practice for Upper-intermediate level (B2) learners of English. Perfect for both self-study and classroom activities. Quickly expand your vocabulary with over 100 units of easy to understand explanations and practice exercises.