ROGET'S THESAURUS OF ENGLISH WORDS AND PHRASES ...

V. seize an opportunity &c (take) 789, use an opportunity &c 677, give an opportunity
&c 784, use an occasion; improve the occasion.
suit the occasion &c (be expedient) 646.
seize the occasion, strike while the iron is hot, battre le fer sur l'enclume [Fr.], make
hay while the sun shines, seize the present hour, take time by the forelock, prendre la
balle au bond [Fr.].
Adj. opportune, timely, well-timed, timeful † , seasonable.
providential, lucky, fortunate, happy, favorable, propitious, auspicious, critical;
suitable &c 23; obiter dicta.
Adv. opportunely &c adj.; in proper course, in due course, in proper season, in due
season, in proper time, in due time; for the nonce; in the nick of time, in the fullness of
time; all in good time; just in time, at the eleventh hour, now or never.
by the way, by the by; en passant [Fr.], a propos [Fr.]; pro re nata [Lat.], pro hac vice
[Lat.]; par parenthese [Fr.], parenthetically, by way of parenthesis, incidentally; while
speaking of, while on the subject; extempore; on the spur of the moment, on the spur of
the occasion; on the spot &c (early) 132.
Phr. carpe diem [Lat.], [Horace]; occasionem cognosce [Lat.]; one's hour is come, the
time is up; that reminds me, now that you mention it, come to think of it; bien perdu bien
connu [Fr.]; e sempre l'ora [It]; ex quovis ligno non fit Mercurius [Lat.]; nosce tempus
[Lat.]; nunc aut nunquam [Lat.].
135. Untimeliness -- N. {ant.
134} untimeliness, intempestivity † , unseasonableness, inexpedience; unsuitable time,
improper time; unreasonableness &c adj.; evil hour; contretemps; intrusion; anachronism
&c 115.
bad time, wrong time, inappropriate time, not the right occasion, unsuitable time,
inopportune time, poor timing.
V. be ill timed &c adj.; mistime, intrude, come amiss, break in upon; have other fish to
fry; be busy, be occupied.
lose an opportunity, throw away an opportunity, waste an opportunity, neglect an
opportunity &c 460; allow the opportunity to pass, suffer the opportunity to pass, allow
the opportunity to slip, suffer the opportunity to slip, allow the opportunity to go by,
suffer the opportunity to go by, allow the opportunity to escape, suffer the opportunity to
escape, allow the opportunity to lapse, suffer the opportunity to lapse, allow the occasion
to pass, allow the occasion to slip by; waste time &c (be inactive) 683; let slip through
the fingers, lock the barn door after the horse is stolen.
Adj. ill-timed, mistimed; ill-fated, ill-omened, ill-starred; untimely, unseasonable; out of
date, out of season; inopportune, timeless, intrusive, untoward, mal a propos [Fr.],
unlucky, inauspicious, infelicitous, unbefitting, unpropitious, unfortunate, unfavorable;
unsuited &c 24; inexpedient &c 647.
unpunctual &c (late) 133; too late for; premature &c (early) 132; too soon for; wise
after the event, monday morning quarterbacking, twenty-twenty hindsight.
Adv. inopportunely &c adj.; as ill luck would have it, in an evil hour, the time having
gone by, a day after the fair.
Phr. after death the doctor, after meat mustard.