Filipino time
- noun
- /fɪlɪˈpinoʊ taɪm/
- Slur
:
hora filipina (ofensivo)
- The meeting started an hour late because everyone was on Filipino time.
Examples
-
We're on Filipino time.
Blog text (17) -
My friends often joke that we should plan events for 2 PM if we want to start on Filipino time.
-
They told us to arrive by noon, but we all showed up later, just following Filipino time.
Synonyms
1
4.5
A repeated failure to arrive on time
A relaxed way of keeping time when people often arrive late
A joking way to say people often arrive later than planned in Samoa
A relaxed way of managing time in Fiji where being late is not a problem
A relaxed way of dealing with time in Hawaii where events often start later than planned
A relaxed way of keeping time where being late is normal
A relaxed view of time in Puerto Rico where events often start later than planned
A relaxed approach to schedules where people often arrive late
How Punctual
Surface Forms
Morphology
Knowing 'Filipino' and 'time' only yields a vague notion of a time related to Filipinos, but it does not transparently signal the culturally specific meaning 'tendency to be late.' The sense is an idiomatic, culture-bound label for punctuality habits and cannot be reliably derived from the constituents, so a B1 learner who only knows the parts would likely not predict the actual meaning.
Etymology
Filipino time comes from a joking idea about people in the Philippines often arriving after the planned time, where Filipino names the people and time points to when things start. That's why the phrase means 'being late'.