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Glite Dictionary
to set one's watch by

to set one's watch by

1 7.4
To arrive so regularly that people can tell the time by your arrival
  • idiom
translation icon : puedes confiar en
  • What can you set your watch by, Harry?

Examples

  • You could set your watch by it.

    The Odd Angry Shot (1979)

  • You can set your watch by her.

    Creepshow (1982)

  • You could set your watch by the guy.

    Fiction book (2000)

  • You can almost set your watch by it.

    Blog text (28)

  • I can literally set my watch by Wesley.

    Good Deeds (2012)

  • You can set your watch by his arrival; he is always on time.

  • If she's running late, you can set your watch by her usual 10-minute delay.

  • They are so punctual that you can set your watch by when they leave for work.

Antonyms

to miss
158 1.3

To be without something needed or expected

lateness
10 1.6

Arriving after the time people expect you to be there

How Punctual

to set one's watch by
1 7.4
on time
321 1.0
late
∞ 1.0

Surface Forms

set one's watch by infinitive
set one's watch by past
set one's watch by past participle
setting one's watch by present participle
sets one's watch by third person singular

Morphology

set + one + watch + by

The meaning is directly derivable from the constituents: 'set' (to adjust), 'watch' (timepiece) and 'by' (according to) combine to mean 'adjust your watch according to someone', i.e. use their timing as a reliable reference. This compositional metaphor (calibrating a clock to a person's punctuality) is transparent and mirrors equivalent constructions in other languages, so a B1 learner who knows the words will likely infer the meaning.

Etymology

Set one's watch by comes from a simple image: people would set their watch by the arrival of a very reliable person who came at the same time every day, using that person like a living clock. So, to 'set your watch by' someone means you can trust they will be on time.