"Five by Five" & "Hawaii Five 0"

Posted by ESC on November 17, 2002

In Reply to: Meaning of "Five by Five" & "Hawaii Five 0" posted by Steve Kohlmann on November 17, 2002

: During a recent party we got on this subject for which we had no answer.

: Can anyone tell me the meanings of what: Five by five means?

: And, so long as we are on the subject of "5'", what does the
: Five 0 stand for in Hawaii five 0?

From the archives:
FIVE BY FIVE -- Five-by-five can mean an obese person. But the meaning that's been discussed here at Phrase Finder is from radio communications. Five by five, or "five by," means "I'm hearing you loud and clear." It can also mean, OK or everything's perfect. These definitions are from Random House Historical Dictionary of American Slang, Volume 1, A-G, by J.E. Lightner. I've also heard the term used for describing the bed of a pickup truck that's five by five. (For more discussion, search under "five by five.")

Hawaii Five-O -- Why was it called Five-O, anyway? Hawaii was the fiftieth state in the union. (The original title was "The Man," but producer Leonard Freeman changed his mind.)

: Thanks!

• "Five by Five" & "Hawaii Five 0" Steve 11/17/02
  • Signal Strength and Readability: 5x5 Bruce Kahl 11/17/02
    • So Where Did "HAM" come from as a word to describe amateur radio stations? Bruce Kahl 11/17/02
      • Hawaii 5-0 Bob 11/17/02
        • Hawaii 5-0 R. Berg 11/17/02
          • EVERYBODY STOP ERASING! Bob 11/18/02
            • Why not start at beginnning post? Karl 11/18/02
              • Because... Word Camel 11/18/02
                • Moreover TheFallen 11/18/02
                  • Furthermore . . . R. Berg 11/19/02