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Nine to five

Nine to five

Meaning

A standard office day, between 9am and 5pm. Often used to denote the boring nature of the weekly working routine.

Examples

This 9 to 5 slog really gets me down by about wednesday – I’m waiting for the weekend to come.

Where did it originate?

Britain.

Where is it used?

Worldwide.

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About the Author

Gary Martin is a writer and researcher on the origins of phrases and the creator of the Phrase Finder website. Over the past 26 years more than 700 million of his pages have been downloaded by readers. He is one of the most popular and trusted sources of information on phrases and idioms.

Gary Martin

Writer and researcher on the origins of phrases and the creator of the Phrase Finder website. Over the past 26 years more than 700 million of his pages have been downloaded by readers. He is one of the most popular and trusted sources of information on phrases and idioms.
Nine to five

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