stop the clock
1. To stop counting down the time remaining in an athletic match. The ref stopped the clock so the player could be seen by a doctor.
2. To stop the passing of time; to remain young indefinitely. Everyone is desperate for a cure-all cream or diet that will stop the clock, but once you accept that we all grow old and die eventually, you appreciate the time you have that much more.
stop the clock
Postpone a deadline by not counting the elapsing hours. For example, Management agreed to stop the clock so that a new contract could be negotiated before the present one expired . [Mid-1900s]