Question

in_the_loop_474 to wait out one’s time by doing the minimum and without progressing The expression originates from the military command “Mark time!” in which soldiers march in place, i.e., move their feet up and down (go through the motions of marching) without moving forward.

Accepted Answer

MARK TIME Richard isn’t interested in making a career out of the army. He’s just putting in the minimum amount of time, marking time until he can leave.Carol doesn’t particularly care for the job she has now, so she’s decided to mark time until the job she really wants comes along. Time

Id	in_the_loop_474
Idiom	MARK TIME
Definition	to wait out one’s time by doing the minimum and without progressing
Examples	Richard isn’t interested in making a career out of the army. He’s just putting in the minimum amount of time, marking time until he can leave. Carol doesn’t particularly care for the job she has now, so she’s decided to mark time until the job she really wants comes along.
Extra Info	The expression originates from the military command “Mark time!” in which soldiers march in place, i.e., move their feet up and down (go through the motions of marching) without moving forward.
Category	Time

Time Mark Minimum Job Loop Wait One’s Progressing