at the eleventh hour
just at the last moment
TRANSLATION
at the eleventh hour = im letzten Augenblick, in letzter Minute --- GOOGLE INDEX at the eleventh hour: approximately 17,500,000 Google hits
STATISTICS
IN THE PRESS
The English tabloid adds that the talks were at an advanced stage and Drogba was on the brink of signing before Thursday's transfer deadline, but he decided to refuse their offer for Galatasaray AT THE ELEVENTH HOUR.
(iSports Times)
---
After several years of planning and input from affected property owners, council opted AT THE 11th HOUR to add vast commercial lands, create an "enterprise corridor" with flexible zoning and extend the plan to the south.
(The London Free Press, Ontario Canada)
(iSports Times)
---
After several years of planning and input from affected property owners, council opted AT THE 11th HOUR to add vast commercial lands, create an "enterprise corridor" with flexible zoning and extend the plan to the south.
(The London Free Press, Ontario Canada)
Did you
know?
at the eleventh hour
idiom
- at the last possible moment
(McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms)
- almost too late
(Cambridge Idioms Dictionary)
---
The expression "at the eleventh hour" alludes to the parable of the workers in the vineyard in the New Testament of the Bible, Matthew 20:1-16.
A landowner went out early in the morning to hire workers for his vineyard. He agreed to pay them one denarius for the day.
At about nine in the morning he went out and saw others standing in the marketplace doing nothing. He told them, "You also go and work in my vineyard, and I will pay you whatever is right." So they went. He went out again at around noon, three and five and hired more workers.
At around sunset when it came time to pay them, each worker received the same wage: one denarius. Those who had worked all day complained about the others who came late receiving the same amount of money.
The landowner replied: "I am not being unfair to you, friend. Didn’t you agree to work for a denarius? Take your pay and go. I want to give the one who was hired last the same as I gave you. Don’t I have the right to do what I want with my own money? Or are you envious because I am generous? So the last will be first, and the first will be last."
Because they used a 12 hour system that started at 6:00 a.m. (sunrise) and ended at 6:00 p.m. (sunset), 5:00 p.m. was referred to the as the "eleventh hour."
---
SYNONYMS
just in time, in the nick of time, at the last minute, zero hour, under the wire
---
SMUGGLE OWAD into today's conversation
"We managed to complete the board presentation at the eleventh hour."
---
Thanks to Tammo for suggesting today's word!
idiom
- at the last possible moment
(McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms)
- almost too late
(Cambridge Idioms Dictionary)
---
The expression "at the eleventh hour" alludes to the parable of the workers in the vineyard in the New Testament of the Bible, Matthew 20:1-16.
A landowner went out early in the morning to hire workers for his vineyard. He agreed to pay them one denarius for the day.
At about nine in the morning he went out and saw others standing in the marketplace doing nothing. He told them, "You also go and work in my vineyard, and I will pay you whatever is right." So they went. He went out again at around noon, three and five and hired more workers.
At around sunset when it came time to pay them, each worker received the same wage: one denarius. Those who had worked all day complained about the others who came late receiving the same amount of money.
The landowner replied: "I am not being unfair to you, friend. Didn’t you agree to work for a denarius? Take your pay and go. I want to give the one who was hired last the same as I gave you. Don’t I have the right to do what I want with my own money? Or are you envious because I am generous? So the last will be first, and the first will be last."
Because they used a 12 hour system that started at 6:00 a.m. (sunrise) and ended at 6:00 p.m. (sunset), 5:00 p.m. was referred to the as the "eleventh hour."
---
SYNONYMS
just in time, in the nick of time, at the last minute, zero hour, under the wire
---
SMUGGLE OWAD into today's conversation
"We managed to complete the board presentation at the eleventh hour."
---
Thanks to Tammo for suggesting today's word!
