time alone

[park sang joon]

The things is, I just want time alone now. Don't be offended.
<State of the Union: A Novel by Douglas Kennedy>

I know the set phrase "alone time," but I can't find "time alone" in any dictionary.
So I was wondering why it is "time alone," not "alone time."
Thank you in advance for your help.

 

[Keith Bradford]

I don't know what "alone time" is. This is "I want time, and I want it for myself alone". Likewise he might have said "I want time in the garden... I want time to relax..." etc.

 

[heypresto]

You won't find 'time alone' in a dictionary, but you will find 'alone'.

In the WR Dictionary: alone separate, apart; by oneself.

Cross-posted.

Note it should be 'The thing is . . . ', not 'things'.

 

[park sang joon]

Thank you, Keith Bradford and heypresto, for your answer and proofreading.
Then I was wondering whether "alone" modifies only "time," or it does the whole sentence "I just want time."

 

[ain'ttranslationfun?]

I think 'alone time' is like 'quality time' and 'down time', an (American, at least) expression in which the kind of time or its purpose (noun as adjective) precedes 'time'.

 

[Chasint]

Thank you, Keith Bradford and heypresto, for your answer and proofreading.
Then I was wondering whether "alone" modifies only "time," or it does the whole sentence "I just want time."

"I want alone time" - Here 'alone' acts adjectivally. It tells you what kind of time.

"I want time alone" - could have two meanings:

(1) It could mean "The only thing I want is time" - this would be an unusual interpretation but it's possible
(2) It could mean "I want some time without company." - In that case it could be considered to modify the whole expression "I want some time" or it could be considered to modify just "time."

 

[park sang joon]

Thank you, Chanist, for your very helpful answer.