half to midnight

USAGE SUMMARY

'half to midnight' is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it to refer to the time shortly before midnight. For example, "We had to get up at half to midnight to catch the flight."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Formal & Business

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

58 human-written examples

We were sold: it was a half hour to midnight & we had just enough time to run to #TowerRecords & cop their discography.

Huffington Post

As much as anything, the treaty talks can be seen as a collective diplomatic howl from the nuclear bleachers, over which hangs a Doomsday Clock reading two and a half minutes to midnight.

Huffington Post

Time's tight, with only a week and a half to opening night, but Cyrus keeps his manner gentle and his voice soft.

Huffington Post

Jordan Staal and Tyler Kennedy scored goals on sheer will, goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury made a breakaway save with a minute and a half to go Tuesday night and the Pittsburgh Penguins held off the Detroit Red Wings, 2-1.

The New York Times - Sports

In the past, it took the team an hour and a half to launch its yachts each morning.

The New York Times - Sports

Fold changes ranged from half to almost fourfold (Additional file 7).

Breast Cancer Research

It only took a couple of weeks not to miss that bagel anymore, and especially all that crappy margarine (you go for really yellow butter now)—the sluggishness and lack of satiety it seemed to leave you with, and the way it seemed to take half the morning to digest it and the donut and scone you piled on top of it.

TechCrunch

Sometimes they have to stay up half the night to get finished".

The New York Times

(I used to crew on a boat that had two owners, who liked to make decisions by consensus. We never raced, thank goodness, because sometimes it would take half the morning to decide which way to turn after leaving the harbor).

The New York Times

At the same time, offering a plea for no rushing to "half-arsed" plans.And this morning, another aftershock, 5.0 this time.

The Economist

If this morning's half was to comfort me, tonight's was purely to celebrate.

Huffington Post

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "half to midnight", ensure the context clearly indicates you are referring to the time 11:30 PM. It is essential for precise time communication, especially in schedules or narratives.

Common error

Avoid ambiguity by clearly specifying AM or PM when using "half to midnight" if the context doesn't already make it obvious. Some readers might misinterpret it without the context, especially if they're not familiar with the expression.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "half to midnight" functions as a prepositional phrase indicating a specific time period relative to midnight. According to Ludwig, the phrase is correct and usable in written English.

Expression frequency: Missing

Frequent in

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Less common in

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Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "half to midnight" is a grammatically sound prepositional phrase used to denote the time 11:30 PM. According to Ludwig, the phrase is correct and usable in written English. While semantically clear, it's advisable to use it in contexts where the meaning is unambiguous or to supplement it with "PM" for clarity. Alternatives like "eleven thirty pm" or "thirty minutes before midnight" may be preferred in more formal settings for added precision.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

thirty minutes before midnight

This alternative directly specifies the amount of time remaining until midnight.

eleven thirty pm

This phrase provides the specific time, which is 30 minutes before midnight.

shortly before midnight

This indicates a time close to midnight without specifying the exact minutes.

almost midnight

This alternative emphasizes the proximity to midnight.

close to midnight

Similar to 'almost midnight', but with a slightly broader sense of time.

near midnight

Another variation indicating the approach of midnight.

just before the clock strikes twelve

More detailed and descriptive.

late in the evening

This is a more general phrase indicating a time around midnight, but lacks the specificity.

the eleventh hour

This idiom implies a point near the end of something, analogous to approaching midnight.

the witching hour is drawing near

More creative, but still close to the original phrase.

FAQs

What does "half to midnight" mean?

"Half to midnight" refers to thirty minutes before midnight, or 11:30 PM.

How can I use "half to midnight" in a sentence?

You might say, "The deadline is at "half to midnight", so we need to hurry."

Are there other ways to say "half to midnight"?

Yes, you can also say "eleven thirty pm" or "thirty minutes before midnight".

Is "half to midnight" a formal or informal expression?

It can be used in both formal and informal contexts, but more precise phrasing like "11:30 PM" might be preferable in strictly formal settings.