Origin and history of pastime

late 13c., passen (transitive), "to go by (something)," also "to cross over," from Old French passer "to pass" (11c.), from Vulgar Latin *passare "to step, walk, pass" (source also of Spanish pasar, Italian passare), from Latin passus "step, pace" (from PIE root *pete- "to spread").

Intransitive sense of "to go on, to move forward, make one's way" is attested from c. 1300. The figurative sense of "to experience, undergo" (as in pass the time) is recorded from late 14c. Sense of "to go through an examination successfully" is from early 15c. Meaning "decline to do something" is attested from 1869, originally in cards (euchre). In football, hockey, soccer, etc., the meaning "to transfer the ball or puck to another player" is from c. 1865. Related: Passed; passing.

The meaning "to be thought to be something one is not" (especially in a racial sense) is from 1935, from pass oneself off (as), which is attested by 1809. The general verb sense of "to be accepted as equivalent" is from 1590s. Pass up "decline, refuse" is attested from 1896. Pass the buck is from 1865, said to be poker slang reference to the buck horn-handled knife that was passed around to signify whose turn it was to deal. Pass the hat "seek contributions" is from 1762. Pass-fail as a grading method is attested from 1955, American English.

late 14c., "worldly, secular, of or pertaining to the present life;" also "terrestrial, earthly;" also "temporary, lasting only for a time;" from Old French temporal "earthly," and directly from Latin temporalis "of time, denoting time; but for a time, temporary," from tempus (genitive temporis) "time, season, moment; proper time or season," from Proto-Italic *tempos- "stretch, measure," which according to de Vaan is from PIE *temp-os "stretched," from root *ten- "to stretch," the notion being "stretch of time."

Limited in time, but less fleeting than what is temporary. As "of or pertaining to time, expressing relations of time," by 1877. Related: Temporally. As a noun, late 14c., "that which is worldly; the secular, secular concerns." Temporalty "the laity" is by late 14c. Temporalism "secularism, absorption in mundane matters" (opposed to the spirit of religion) is by 1872.

Old English tima "temporal duration, limited space of time," from Proto-Germanic *tima- "time" (source also of Old Norse timi "time, proper time," Swedish timme "an hour"), reconstructed to be from PIE *di-mon-, suffixed form of root *da- "to divide" (compare tide).

The abstract sense of "time as an indefinite continuous duration" is recorded from late 14c. Personified as an aged bald man (but with a forelock) carrying a scythe and an hour-glass.

In English, a single word encompasses time as "extent" and "point" (French temps/fois, German zeit/mal) as well as "hour" (as in what time is it?; compare French heure, German Uhr).

It is attested from mid-14c. as "one of a number of repeated instances" (how many times?). Extended senses such as "occasion," "the right time," "leisure," or times (v.) "multiplied by" developed in Old and Middle English, probably as a natural outgrowth of such phrases as "He commends her a hundred times to God" (Old French La comande a Deu cent foiz).

to have a good time ( = a time of enjoyment) was common in Eng. from c 1520 to c 1688; it was app. retained in America, whence readopted in Britain in 19th c. [OED, 1989]

Time of day was a popular 17c. salutation ("Good time of day vnto your Royall Grace," "Richard III," I.iii.18), hence give (one) the time of day "greet socially" (1590s; earlier give good day, mid-14c.). It is preserved in negation, as what is withheld or denied in disdain or as a snub.

As "a period considered with reference to prevailing conditions," late 15c. [Men say comynly that after that the tyme goth, so must folke go]. Also in Hamlet's "The time is out of joint," etc. The times "the current age" is attested by 1590s. Times as the name of a newspaper dates from 1788. To be behind the times "old-fashioned" is from 1831; to be ahead of (one's) time is by 1837.

Time warp is attested by 1954; time-traveling in the science fiction sense is by 1895 in H.G. Wells' "The Time Machine."

Time after time "repeatedly" is by 1630s; time and again "repeatedly" is by 1864. From time to time "at intervals" is late 14c.

As the signal for the end of service in a public house, 1912, hence "closing time" in a general sense. The meaning "duration of a sentence of imprisonment" is by 1837; to do time "serve a prison sentence" is by 1865. 

To be in time "not too late" is by late 15c. Adverbial on time "punctually" is by 1821. To be on time "punctual" (adj.) is by 1854 in railroading. To have no time for "lack respect or admiration for" is by 1911.

About time, ironically for "long past due time," is recorded from 1920. Next time "next occasion" is late 14c. Time off (n.) "a break from one's occupation" is by 1930.