Military mark time
Encyclopedia
Marking time is a military step
in which soldiers march in place. That is, they move their legs as in marching
but without stepping forward.
The military drill command is "Mark Time, March!" to change from standing at attention to 'Marking Time' or to change from marching at 'Quick Time' to 'Marking Time'. The resulting action is to march in place, absent progress in any direction.
The term can also be used to refer to doing a minor job or task whilst waiting for an opportunity to arise, thus the casual usage in slang as describing motion without progress - not getting anywhere. As with other military jargon it entered civilian use when a large portion of the population had military experience and understood the context.
Military step
Military step or march is a regular, ordered and synchronized walking of military formations.-History:The steady, regular marching step was a marked feature of Roman legions. Vegetius, the author of the only surviving treatise on the Roman Empire's military, De Re Militari, recognized the...
in which soldiers march in place. That is, they move their legs as in marching
Marching
See also: Loaded marchMarching refers to the organized, uniformed, steady and rhythmic walking forward, usually associated with military troops.Marching is often performed to march music, and often associated with military parades....
but without stepping forward.
The military drill command is "Mark Time, March!" to change from standing at attention to 'Marking Time' or to change from marching at 'Quick Time' to 'Marking Time'. The resulting action is to march in place, absent progress in any direction.
The term can also be used to refer to doing a minor job or task whilst waiting for an opportunity to arise, thus the casual usage in slang as describing motion without progress - not getting anywhere. As with other military jargon it entered civilian use when a large portion of the population had military experience and understood the context.