Running late · Time and plans
in the nick of time
just before too late
You do something in the nick of time when you do it just before it becomes too late.
This vs that
I arrived on time.
I arrived in the nick of time.
Hear it in real life
Did you manage to submit the form?
Yes, in the nick of time — the deadline was midnight.
We got to the station in the nick of time and jumped on just before the doors closed.
Which sounds natural?
Psst — which one would you actually say?
The idiom is a natural, conversational way to describe a last-second success.
The mistake everyone makes
Not: I caught the train in the nick ‸ time.
Say: I caught the train in the nick of time.
The idiom always includes 'of time'.
Say it together
Whole chunks natives use with it.
do something in the nick of time
We reached the platform in the nick of time.
He handed in the form in the nick of time.
Phrases to borrow
More for talking about running late.
get stuck in traffic
I got stuck in traffic near the ring road.
Running late words
Time and plans · Running late: the words around “in the nick of time”.
More connectionsMore running late words8
Your turn: say it out loud
I got it done in the nick of time.
Say it out loud two or three times, until it feels like yours.
in the nick of time
just before too late
“We got to the station in the nick of time and jumped on just before the doors closed.”
heytardy