diff --git a/lib/src/abstract/Construction.gf b/lib/src/abstract/Construction.gf
index 5fbb8e82d..6cb5caf49 100644
--- a/lib/src/abstract/Construction.gf
+++ b/lib/src/abstract/Construction.gf
@@ -42,6 +42,9 @@ fun
   cup_of_CN    : NP -> CN ;       -- cup of tea / kupillinen teetä (Fin)
   glass_of_CN  : NP -> CN ;
 
+-- idiomatic expressions
+  few_X_short_of_Y : NP -> CN -> CN -> S ; -- NP is a few X's short of a Y / NP:llä ei ole kaikki X:t Y:ssä (Fin)
+
 {- 
 ---- postponed  
 -- spatial deixis and motion verbs
@@ -63,12 +66,15 @@ fun
 -- time expressions
 
 cat 
+  Timeunit ;
   Weekday ;
   Month ;
   Monthday ;
   Year ;
 
 fun
+  timeunitAdv     : Card -> Timeunit -> Adv ; -- (for) three hours
+
   weekdayPunctualAdv : Weekday -> Adv ;  -- on Monday
   weekdayHabitualAdv : Weekday -> Adv ;  -- on Mondays
   weekdayLastAdv : Weekday -> Adv ;      -- last Monday
@@ -104,6 +110,14 @@ fun
 ----------------------------------------------
 ---- lexicon of special names
 
+fun second_Timeunit : Timeunit ;
+fun minute_Timeunit : Timeunit ;
+fun hour_Timeunit : Timeunit ;
+fun day_Timeunit : Timeunit ;
+fun week_Timeunit : Timeunit ;
+fun month_Timeunit : Timeunit ;
+fun year_Timeunit : Timeunit ;
+
 fun monday_Weekday : Weekday ;
 fun tuesday_Weekday : Weekday ;
 fun wednesday_Weekday : Weekday ;
diff --git a/lib/src/english/ConstructionEng.gf b/lib/src/english/ConstructionEng.gf
index 9e9d211cf..8486fcc88 100644
--- a/lib/src/english/ConstructionEng.gf
+++ b/lib/src/english/ConstructionEng.gf
@@ -29,6 +29,12 @@ lin
   cup_of_CN    np = mkCN (lin N2 (mkN2 "cup"))    (lin NP np) ;
   glass_of_CN  np = mkCN (lin N2 (mkN2 "glass"))  (lin NP np) ;
 
+  few_X_short_of_Y np x y = 
+    let 
+      xs : Str = x.s ! R.Pl ! R.Nom ;
+      a_y : Str = (mkNP a_Det y).s ! R.NCase R.Nom ;
+    in
+      mkS (mkCl np (mkAdv ("a few" ++ xs ++ "short of" ++ a_y))) ; 
 {-
 -- spatial deixis and motion verbs
 
@@ -50,11 +56,17 @@ oper from_where_IAdv : IAdv = lin IAdv (ss "from where") ;
 
 
 lincat
+  Timeunit = N ;
   Weekday = N ;
   Monthday = NP ;
   Month = N ;
   Year = NP ;
 lin
+  timeunitAdv n time = 
+  let n_card : Card   = n ;
+      n_hours_NP : NP = mkNP n_card time ;
+  in  SyntaxEng.mkAdv for_Prep n_hours_NP | mkAdv (n_hours_NP.s ! R.npNom) ;
+
   weekdayPunctualAdv w = SyntaxEng.mkAdv on_Prep (mkNP w) ;         -- on Sunday
   weekdayHabitualAdv w = SyntaxEng.mkAdv on_Prep (mkNP aPl_Det w) ; -- on Sundays
   weekdayNextAdv w = SyntaxEng.mkAdv (mkPrep "next") (mkNP w) ;     -- next Sunday
@@ -87,6 +99,14 @@ oper mkLanguage : Str -> PN = \s -> mkPN s ;
 ----------------------------------------------
 ---- lexicon of special names
 
+lin second_Timeunit = mkN "second" ;
+lin minute_Timeunit = mkN "minute" ;
+lin hour_Timeunit = mkN "hour" ;
+lin day_Timeunit = mkN "day" ;
+lin week_Timeunit = mkN "week" ;
+lin month_Timeunit = mkN "month" ;
+lin year_Timeunit = mkN "year" ;
+
 lin monday_Weekday = mkN "Monday" ;
 lin tuesday_Weekday = mkN "Tuesday" ;
 lin wednesday_Weekday = mkN "Wednesday" ;
diff --git a/lib/src/finnish/ConstructionFin.gf b/lib/src/finnish/ConstructionFin.gf
index 412af667e..042e3f11a 100644
--- a/lib/src/finnish/ConstructionFin.gf
+++ b/lib/src/finnish/ConstructionFin.gf
@@ -28,6 +28,15 @@ lin
   cup_of_CN    np = mkCN (lin N2 (mkN2 (mkN "kuppi") (mkPrep partitive)))  (lin NP np) | mkCN (lin N2 (mkN2 (mkN "kupillinen") (mkPrep partitive)))  (lin NP np) ;
   glass_of_CN  np =  mkCN (lin N2 (mkN2 (mkN "lasi") (mkPrep partitive))) (lin NP np) | mkCN (lin N2 (mkN2 (mkN "lasillinen") (mkPrep partitive))) (lin NP np) ;
 
+
+  few_X_short_of_Y np x y =
+    let kaikki_xt : Str =  (mkNP all_Predet ( mkNP aPl_Det x)).s ! R.NPCase R.Nom ;
+  	yssa : Str = y.s ! R.NCase R.Sg R.Iness ; 
+	kaikki_xt_yssa : Adv = ParadigmsFin.mkAdv (kaikki_xt ++ yssa) ;
+	olla_V : V = lin V have_V2 ;
+    in mkS negativePol 
+         (mkCl np (mkVP (mkVP olla_V) kaikki_xt_yssa)) ;
+
 {-
   where_go_QCl np = mkQCl (lin IAdv (ss "minne")) (mkCl np (mkVP L.go_V)) ;
   where_come_from_QCl np =  mkQCl (lin IAdv (ss "mistä")) (mkCl np (mkVP L.come_V)) ;
@@ -42,11 +51,13 @@ lin
 -}
 
 lincat
+  Timeunit = N ;
   Weekday = {noun : N ; habitual : SyntaxFin.Adv} ;
   Monthday = NP ;
   Month = N ;
   Year = NP ;
 lin
+  timeunitAdv n time = mkAdv ((mkNP <lin Card n : Card> time).s ! R.NPCase R.Nom) ;
 
   weekdayPunctualAdv w = lin Adv {s = pointWeekday w} ;
   weekdayHabitualAdv w = w.habitual ;
@@ -88,6 +99,13 @@ oper mkWeekday : Str -> Weekday = \d ->
          }
       } ; 
 
+lin second_Timeunit = mkN "sekuntti" ;
+lin minute_Timeunit = mkN "minuutti" ;
+lin hour_Timeunit = mkN "tunti" ;
+lin day_Timeunit = mkN "päivä" ;
+lin week_Timeunit = mkN "viikko" ;
+lin month_Timeunit = mkN "kuukausi" "kuukauden" "kuukausia" "kuukautta" ;
+lin year_Timeunit = mkN "vuosi" "vuoden" "vuosia" "vuotta" ;
 
 lin monday_Weekday = mkWeekday "maanantai" ;
 lin tuesday_Weekday = mkWeekday "tiistai" ;