The Village Idiom

set one's watch back

"Set one's watch back" means to adjust the time on one's watch to an earlier time, often in response to changing time zones or to cheat or deceive others. It can also be used figuratively to mean regressing or going back in time.

Time & pace · Filed under S

In a sentence

  • Since we will be traveling to a different time zone, we'll need to set our watches back by three hours.
  • Don't forget to set your watch back tonight before going to bed, as daylight saving time ends.
  • She always forgets to set her watch back after traveling, which makes her late for appointments.

Where it comes from and how it is used

"Put the clock forward" is a related idiom to "set one's watch back." It means adjusting the time on a clock or watch to a later hour. This idiom is commonly used in the context of daylight saving time, where people move their clocks forward by one hour in the spring to make better use of natural daylight. It is the opposite of setting one's watch back, as it involves advancing the time forward.

"Turn back the clock" is yet another related idiom. It is used to describe the act of reverting to a past state or time. This idiom is often employed in the context of nostalgia or longing for an earlier period. It conveys the idea of going back in time, much like the idiom "set one's watch back."

Know an earlier use or a better origin story?Tell us.