Question

Eleventh Hour at the latest possible time, just before the absolute deadline

Accepted Answer

At the eleventh hour, just seconds before the curtain rose, Sybil finished painting the scenery. This idiom comes from the Bible. The eleventh hour is the last hour before the end of the world. In the Bible, it was the last hour of sunlight with the twelfth hour bringing darkness. Some people delay so much, they sometimes finish a project at the last minute, or even the last second, just before the deadline passes.

Idiom	Eleventh Hour
Example	At the eleventh hour, just seconds before the curtain rose, Sybil finished painting the scenery.
Meaning	at the latest possible time, just before the absolute deadline
Origin	This idiom comes from the Bible. The eleventh hour is the last hour before the end of the world. In the Bible, it was the last hour of sunlight with the twelfth hour bringing darkness. Some people delay so much, they sometimes finish a project at the last minute, or even the last second, just before the deadline passes.

Hour Eleventh Deadline Seconds Curtain Rose Sybil Finished