big time

Nickname
The origin of the nickname "Big Ben" is the subject of some debate. The nickname was applied first to the Great Bell; it may have been named after Sir Benjamin Hall, who oversaw the installation of the Great Bell, or after English heavyweight boxing champion Ben Caunt.[4][78][79] Now "Big Ben" is often used, by extension, to refer to the clock, the tower and the bell collectively, although the nickname is not universally accepted as referring to the clock and tower.[80] Some authors of works about the tower, clock and bell sidestep the issue by using the words Big Ben first in the title, then going on to clarify that the subject of the book is the clock and tower as well as the bell.[60][81]
Big Ben is the nickname for the Great Bell of the Great Clock of Westminster,[1][2] and, by extension, for the clock tower itself,[3] which stands at the north end of the Palace of Westminster in London, England.[4] Originally known simply as the Clock Tower, it was renamed Elizabeth Tower in 2012 to mark the Diamond Jubilee of Elizabeth II. The clock is a striking clock with five bells.[5]

The tower was designed by Sir Charles Barry and Augustus Pugin in a Perpendicular Gothic Revival style and was completed in 1859. It is elaborately decorated with stone carvings and features symbols related to the four nations of the United Kingdom and the Anglo-Welsh Tudor dynasty. A Latin inscription celebrates Queen Victoria, in whose reign the palace was built.[6] The tower stands 316 feet (96 m) tall, and the climb from ground level to the belfry is 334 steps. Its base is square, measuring 40 feet (12 m) on each side. The dials of the clock are 22.5 feet (6.9 m) in diameter.

The clock uses its original mechanism and was the largest and most accurate four-faced striking and chiming clock in the world upon its completion.[7] It was designed by Edmund Beckett Denison and George Airy, the Astronomer Royal, and constructed by Edward John Dent and Frederick Dent. It is known for its reliability, and can be adjusted by adding or removing pre-decimal pennies from the pendulum. The Great Bell was cast by the Whitechapel Bell Foundry and weighs 13.5 long tons (13.7 tonnes; 15.1 short tons).[4] Its nickname may be derived from Sir Benjamin Hall, who oversaw its installation, or heavyweight boxing champion Benjamin Caunt. There are four quarter bells, which chime on the quarter hours.

Big Ben is a British cultural icon. It is one of the most prominent symbols of the United Kingdom and parliamentary democracy,[8] and it is often used in the establishing shot of films set in London.[9] The clock tower has been part of a Grade I listed building since 1970 and a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1987.[10] The clock and tower were renovated between 2017 and 2021, during which the bells remained silent with few exceptions.[11]

***
big time
adverb   informal
uk  /;b;; ;ta;m/ us  /;b;; ;ta;m/
Add to word list
If you do something big time, you do it to a great degree:
"How was the interview?" "Terrible, I messed up big time."
Chrissy's into skiing big time (= likes skiing a lot).
 SMART Vocabulary: related words and phrases
Linguistics: very & extreme

 
big time
noun   informal
uk  /;b;; ;ta;m/ us  /;b;; ;ta;m/
 the big time
 
the state of being famous or successful:
She finally hit the big time (= became famous or successful) with her latest novel.
You've really made the big time now (= become famous or successful).
 SMART Vocabulary: related words and phrases
big-time
adjective [ before noun ]   informal
uk  /;b;;.ta;m/ us  /;b;;.ta;m/
 
relating to the highest or most successful level of an activity:
Steve Largent was regarded as Seattle's first big-time football star.
She is ready to run a big-time political campaign.
 More examples
 SMART Vocabulary: related words and phrases

(Definition of big time from the Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary & Thesaurus © Cambridge University Press)
big time | American Dictionary
big time
noun [ U ]
us/;b;; ;t;;m/
Add to word list
infml the state of being famous or successful:
You’ve really hit the big time now.
big-time
adjective [ not gradable ]
us/;b;; ;t;;m/
 
infml
relating to someone or something that is famous or successful:
Her influence is secure even though she's had limited experience in big-time politics.
 
big-time
adverb [ not gradable ] (also big time)
 
infml
to a large degree; in an extreme way:
I flunked the test big time.

(Definition of big time from the Cambridge Academic Content Dictionary © Cambridge University Press)
big-time | Business English
big-time
adjective [ before noun ]   informal
uk  us
Add to word list
used to describe someone or something that is very successful:
Malik is a big-time real estate developer.
(Definition of big time from the Cambridge Business English Dictionary © Cambridge University Press)
Examples of big time
big time
The media have stayed away from it big time.
From the Cambridge English Corpus
All these familiar faces hit the big time after 50.
From the Cambridge English Corpus
His argument was that there was a big time lag between the decision to invest and the fruits of investment.
From the Hansard archive
There is a very big time lag and tremendous delay, and it is tiresome for trustees if they have to go through this procedure.
From the Hansard archive
We have to get into the big stuff, the big time, and on a big scale, or we shall not be at the races.
From the Hansard archive
It gave new powers to the courts to order "big time" criminals to pay compensation.
From the Hansard archive
Those are the people, as well as the big time sanctions busters here, we intend to see brought to justice if possible.
From the Hansard archive
I am sure that their approach will pay off big time.
From the Hansard archive
That is not the source of the fraud; the source is in the big time.
From the Hansard archive
There is inevitably a big time lag.
From the Hansard archive
The lead time for a large telephone exchange could be as much as six years, so we are dealing with a big time scale and big money.
From the Hansard archive
And yet, when he is given a chance at the big time, he cracks under the pressure.
From Wikipedia
Peace brought the population leisure time and money for entertainment, and basketball was ripe for a move to the big time.
From Wikipedia
She goes to auditions and tries to get a role in an upcoming play that would help her make it to the big time.
From Wikipedia
Currently the actress is venturing big time into films.
From Wikipedia