behind one’s time—
1. after the usual or proper time:
- Master Gammon was half an hour behind his time for bed, and had dropped asleep in his chair.
2. using things not in style; following old ways:
- I started to think that either Ben had been so ahead of his time when he first came to us, or I was behind my time.
past one’s time—
1. = behind one’s time 1:
- By the time Kewaa got home, it was past her time for bed and her mother was concerned that something had happened to her.
2. be late in menstruating (the usual implication being that of unwanted pregnancy):
- It’s this way—I’m just married and my wife is past her time and I can’t afford to have any children.
3. past one’s prime; no longer young or efficient enough:
- I have sat in on school board meetings and while Jeanie may mean well she is past her time for effectiveness.