Verb
tick away (third-person singular simple present ticks away, present participle ticking away, simple past and past participle ticked away)
(of time) To count down to zero (i.e. signaling the end (or start) of something).
Watch the grown ups all twirling with the clock throughout the day. Watch them spinning through the hours while the time hands tick away. They talk and grip the world, as they would catch a falling knife. Reality deceives them 'neath amusing games of life. Dawud Wharnsby