| 释义 |
DictionarySeeclockturn back the clock
turn back the clock1. Literally, to set the clock to an earlier time. Can you turn back the clock? It's five minutes fast.2. To revisit, recount, or recreate a time or era from the past. If I could turn back the clock, I would manage my finances better so I could retire at an earlier age. The purpose of this conference is to turn back the clock by analyzing early human remains to gain insight into their way of life.See also: back, clock, turnturn back the clock and turn the clock backSee also: back, clock, turnturn back the clock return to the past or to a previous way of doing things.See also: back, clock, turnturn the clock back, toTo return to an earlier way of life; to restore past conditions. This metaphor dates from the nineteenth century and generally represents a vain attempt to return to a past era. “You can’t turn back the hands of the clock,” wrote Erle Stanley Gardner (The Case of the Turning Tide, 1941).See also: clock, turn |