Learn These Time Expressions 'In the Blink of an Eye'

Vocabulary

1. expression (n)
/ ɪkˈsprɛʃən/:a word or phrase that communicates an idea
Ex: I can't find the proper English expression.

2. blink (n)
/blɪŋk/:the act of opening and closing one's eyes quickly
Ex: He was trying to wink, but they looked like blinks to me.

3. expect (verb)
/ɪkˈspɛkt/: to think that something is probably going to happen.
Ex: She is expecting to have a baby soon.

4. grow up (phrasal verb)
/groʊ ʌp/: to change from child to adult
Ex: I grew up in Japan but now I live in America.

5. borrow (verb)
/ˈbɑːroʊ/: to take or receive something from someone with the plan of giving it back to them later
Ex: I had to borrow some money from one of my friends.

Reading

Have you ever felt that "time flies" – or passes very quickly – when you're having fun? Here are some English expressions that will help you pass the time "in the blink of an eye!"
Blink of an eye

If something happens "in the blink of an eye," it happens very quickly, or faster than expected. For example, "The car crash was over in the blink of an eye;" or, "One moment our son was a baby, but in the blink of an eye he was all grown up!"
Donkey's years

If it's been "donkey's years," it's been a very long time. So an old friend might say, "I haven't seen you in donkey's years!"

This probably comes from "years and years and donkey's ears," an old expression that also meant "a long time." This was a joke, since donkeys have long ears, and "ears" sounds like "years." But some people also say that it's because donkeys can live for quite a long time, or because donkeys move very slowly.
Borrowed time

If a person is "living on borrowed time," they are expected to die soon. So you might say, "My grandfather is very sick; we think he's living on borrowed time." This can also be used when something will probably break soon: "There's something wrong with my car; I think it may be living on borrowed time."

People often think of Death as a person, so in this expression, someone has borrowed time from Death to live a little longer.

Discussion

1. Which of the expressions from the article did you find interesting? Why?

2.

Do you ever feel like time flies when you're having fun? Please explain your answer.

3.

Do you have any friends that you haven't seen in donkey's years? Please explain your answer.

4.

Which of your friends and family do you spend time with most often? What do you usually do together?

5.

Are there any interesting expressions about time in your language? If so, please share a few.