tick-tocking

Verb

tick-tock (third-person singular simple present tick-tocks, present participle tick-tocking, simple past and past participle tick-tocked)

1. (intransitive) To make continual clicking sounds like those of an analog clock; to tick.
   • And so as the clock tick-tocked along at MetLife Stadium on Friday night, the possibility grew into the probability that this frustrating, scoreless quarterfinal between Colombia and Peru would end up in one of those unfortunate, nearly random shootout results.2016 June 17, Filip Bondy, “Colombia Slumps to Victory Over Peru in Copa América Quarterfinal”, in The New York Times
2. (intransitive) When marching, to swing arms and legs on the same side at the same time.
   • Ex-military didn't pass up the chance to harshly criticise the mediocre stepping, noting their "tick-tocking" technique which is a term used in the army, describing moving arm and leg on the same side in the same direction while marching.2019 February 20, Hollie Geraghty, “PC PLOD: Met cops mocked for 'worst march ever' in hilarious 'Monty Python meets Dad's Army' video”, in The Sun (United Kingdom)

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