play for time
Meaning: To delay deliberately in the hope of improving one's position.
Language: English
Literally: (Already vivid in English)
Example: “When asked about the budget, the mayor played for time.”
Category: Daily Life
Origin: From sports such as cricket and football, where a team protecting a result slows the game. The figurative use is common from the 19th century.
Equivalents in other languages
- Polish: grać na zwłokę — literally: to play for delay
More idioms — Daily Life
- even Homer nods — Even the most skilled people sometimes make mistakes.
- borrow trouble — To worry about problems that may never happen.
- act like one owns the place — To behave with arrogant disregard for others.
- once in a lifetime — So rare that it will probably happen only once.
- out of one's league — Too good, attractive or expensive for someone to have a chance with.
- a stroke of luck — A sudden, unexpected piece of good fortune.
More English idioms
- shoulder the burden — To take on a heavy responsibility.
- gild the lily — To spoil something already perfect by adding to it.
- cook the books — To falsify figures, especially accounts.
- no room to swing a cat — A very small or cramped space.
- a snake in the grass — A treacherous person who pretends to be a friend.
- give one's eyeteeth for something — To want something very badly.
From our proverbs
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- Pay as you go. — Settling debts immediately prevents financial burdens from accumulating and maintains hon…
- Penny wise and pound foolish. — Obsessing over minor savings while making careless decisions about major expenses creates…