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?”
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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 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.