time on someone's side
- idiom
:
tener tiempo a favor
- She feels optimistic because, at her age, time on her side allows her to try again.
Examples
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With time on their side, the team could carefully plan the next steps.
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Don't worry about making a quick decision—you have time on your side.
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We have time on our side!
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In this negotiation, we have time on our side.
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With so many months left before the deadline, we definitely have time on our side to complete the project.
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When it comes to saving for retirement, having time on your side can make a significant difference in your savings.
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As she gradually improved her skills, she realized that time was on her side to become a better player.
How Much Time
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning ‘having an advantage because one has plenty of time’ follows from combining ‘time’ with the figurative expression ‘on someone’s side’ (i.e. in someone’s favor). This relies on a spatial-to-social metaphor (‘side’ = support/favor) that is partly inferable and common cross-linguistically, so a B1 learner who knows the parts will often guess the sense but may need some exposure to the idiomatic use.
Etymology
Time on someone's side paints a simple picture: imagine time standing at your side like a friend in a race or a fight. If time is with you, you can wait, plan, or let things improve, so the phrase means 'having an advantage because you have plenty of time'.