“time-consuming”. but no “consuming time”?
https://books.google.com/ngrams/graph?content=time+consume_INF%2Cconsume_INF+time&year_start=1750
Words have a life of their own!
‘Time consumed’ flourishes, but after seeding ‘time consuming’ withers away. ‘Time consuming’ grows in the last century to an extent never achieved by ‘time consumed’.
What is the principle behind this development?
Take/spend/consume a little time considering this phenomenon. The time taken will be well spent. The time spent will be well taken.
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