not give someone the time of day
Ignore someone, refuse to pay the slightest attention to someone, as in He's tried to be friendly but she won't give him the time of day. This expression, first recorded in 1864, alludes to refusing even to answer the question, “What time is it?”
RELATED CONTENT
This Word Of The Day Quiz Is Not ClandestineWhile all of your options are out in the open, it might still be tough to score a perfect 7/7 on this week’s quiz. Good luck to the polyhistors out there, and don’t forget to vote on your favorite word of the week (in the poll beneath the quiz). After you challenge your friends to a quiz off, check in with your results on Facebook or …
Nearby words
not for a moment, not for all the tea in china, not for love or money, not gate, not give a damn, not give someone the time of day, not half bad, not have a bean, not have a clue, not have an earthly chance, not have anything on
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.