The idiom “ahead of time” means something is happening before a specific moment or task. It can refer to arriving early or completing a task faster than expected. It is an example of an idiom, which is a phrase with a unique meaning. The phrase is not meant to be taken literally, but is used conversationally.
“Ahead of time” is an English idiom that is used when something is happening before a specific moment or milestone in time. Can be used to indicate that something is happening before a scheduled event. In other cases, “ahead” may refer to a task that is performed at a significantly faster pace than originally intended. The sentence is uniquely expressive because it implies that a person can somehow anticipate the march of time, which is impossible.
Many phrases become popular in a culture even though their literal meaning may not match the intended meaning when spoken. Certain words, when said together, take on a meaning of their own through popular usage. These words and phrases are known as idioms, and the English language has many idioms dedicated to time and human beings’ relationship to it. One of the most popular of these time idioms is the phrase “in advance.”
The most common use of this phrase refers to the practice of people doing something before a certain scheduled time arrives. For example, consider the sentence, “The movie starts at 5:30, but we should really try to get there early so we can get good seats.” In this sentence, the “time” in question is 5:30. Arriving “earlier” than that time means people will be at the cinema before 5:30.
Another way this phrase is commonly used is in reference to something being done at a faster pace than originally intended. When used this way, the idiom is very similar to the phrase “earlier than expected.” For example, consider the sentence: “The factory workers were expected to take three days to complete this project, but they worked so hard that they are ahead of their time.” In this case, the “time” in question is the three days foreseen for the project. By working so well, it is implied that the job will be done long before that three day period has passed.
Of course, there’s no way anyone can actually get “ahead of their time” in reality. The sentence uses this piece of metaphor as a way of saying something in a familiar, conversational way. Provides a colorful, abbreviated method of indicating when something is happening before a predetermined time.
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