In the nick of time, at the last minute, at the eleventh hour – what is the difference between these English idioms?

Idioms: IN THE NICK OF TIME, AT THE LAST MINUTE and AT THE ELEVENTH HOUR

In the nick of time, at the last minute, at the eleventh hour – what is the difference between these English idioms?
Jane Lawson, English Teacher at DailyStep English

Hello, I’m Jane at DailyStep English and welcome to my Audio Blog!

 
Thank you to Barbara in Italy for this question about the difference between three similar idioms, in the nick of time, at the last minute and at the eleventh hour. 
 
Well, Barbara, ‘In the nick of time‘ means ‘just before it was too late’. For example, 

 

“I arrived at the airport in the nick of time, and ran to the departure gate, which was just about to close!”
So, we understand that I nearly missed my plane because I was so late for it.
 
‘At the last minute‘ and ‘at the eleventh hour‘ both mean ‘at the latest possible opportunity for doing something‘. We often use them when we are talking about spontaneous actions, or changed plans and decisions. ‘At the eleventh hour‘ sounds much more dramatic than ‘at the last minute‘. Listen to these examples:
 
“The location of the party was changed at the last minute.” 
“The football team’s best striker was brought on to the field at the eleventh hour and scored a winning goal just before the end of the match.”
 
Now, can you think about when you managed to do something in the nick of time, or a time that you changed your plans at the last minute, or at the eleventh hour? Write down your examples if possible, as this will help you to remember these idioms.
 
Now, here are some audio summaries of all the topics in next week’s DailyStep Audio Lessons. If you are new to DailyStep, you can get 5 free UK/USA lessons here. 
 


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