Indian time
1
9.9
- noun
- Slur
- Our meeting was supposed to start at 3 PM, but on Indian time it began at 3:45.
Examples
-
If you arrive a little late, don't worry—everyone here understands Indian time.
-
She joked that her whole family operates on Indian time.
-
He always arrives late because of Indian time.
-
Are you still on Indian time for the meeting?
-
Don't stress about the schedule; we're all accustomed to Indian time here.
-
Arriving 30 minutes late is perfectly normal; it's just Indian time for you.
-
They say that in this culture, punctuality means showing up two hours late, or just Indian time.
Synonyms
1
9.0
A relaxed way of managing time in Fiji where being late is not a problem
1
9.6
A relaxed view of time in Puerto Rico where events often start later than planned
1
8.4
A relaxed way of dealing with time in Hawaii where events often start later than planned
1
7.7
A relaxed approach to schedules where people often arrive late
1
9.7
A relaxed way of keeping time when people often arrive late
1
9.5
A relaxed way of keeping time when people often arrive later than planned
A relaxed way of planning time and events common in Pacific island cultures
A relaxed way of keeping time where being late is normal
Antonyms
How Punctual
Surface Forms
Morphology
The phrase literally combines 'Indian' and 'time', so a learner could infer it refers to a kind of time associated with Indians, but the specific sense—an ironic/cultural stereotype of relaxed punctuality—is not directly derivable from the words themselves. Understanding the idiomatic implication relies on cultural knowledge and pragmatic inference rather than purely compositional meaning, so it is only partially transparent to a B1 learner.
Etymology
Indian time is a joking expression that links Indian and time to a clear image: imagine a party or meeting that starts when people arrive, not at the exact hour. That's why it means 'a relaxed or flexible idea of being on time', and it is a humorous stereotype, so be careful using it.