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Dictionary

Words, grammatical forms and meanings linked to the ontology.

beer o'clock en · NOUN

Pronunciation

  • /ˌbɪɹ oʊˈklɑk/ (General-American)
  • /ˌbiə̯ɹ əˈklɑk/ (General-American)
  • /ˌbɪə(ɹ)əʊˈklɒk/ (Received-Pronunciation)
  • /ˌbɪɹ əˈklɑk/ (General-American)
  • /ˌbɪə(ɹ)əˈklɒk/ (Received-Pronunciation)
  • (Australia) audio

Meanings

  1. (humorous, slang, uncountable) The time of the first beer (or alcoholic beverage) of the day.
    • One big rule that we never ever break is to open a can of ale before beer o'clock. Luckily this can be anytime between 1000 and 1300 hours and woe-betide anyone on watch who forgets to waken the other at this crucial time of day. 2006, Arthur J. Binks, “Santa Cruz”, in Wine, Women and Sailing, Cambridge: Vanguard Press, →ISBN, page 89:
    • Pack an esky with ice-cold bottles of Cooper's Green Label and head down to Holloways Beach, just north of Cairns, around beer o'clock on a Friday afternoon. 1999 February 22, Christopher Somerville, The Observer:
    • When Hal woke up he decided it was beer o'clock and had the girls' permission to wander down the road for a few pints before tea. 2013, Dave Lewis, chapter 62, in Raising Skinny Elephants, [Pontypridd, Rhondda Cynon Taf, Wales]: Ponty Press, →ISBN, page 231:
    • He let her go and stood up. "I also believe it's beer o'clock. You want some iced tea?" 1999 April 6, Stephen King, The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon, New York, N.Y.: Scribner, →ISBN; Pocket Books paperback edition, New York, N.Y.: Pocket Books, May 2017, →ISBN, page 84:
  2. (humorous, slang, uncountable) Time for a beer (the first of the day or otherwise).
    • Questioner: What time is it? Answerer: It's beer o'clock.
    • Calling at Stalybridge, I cast one eye at the refreshment rooms and one eye at my watch, but 'beer o'clock' it isn't! Besides, I have a long way to travel! 2022 November 2, Paul Bigland, “New trains, old trains, and splendid scenery”, in RAIL, number 969, page 58:

Relateds

o-dark-thirty · the sun is over the yardarm · wine o'clock

Translations (5)

ru пивнадцать часов (time of the first beer (or alcoholic beverage) of the day) · uk пивнадцята година (time of the first beer (or alcoholic beverage) of the day) · pl piwna pora (time of the first beer (or alcoholic beverage) of the day) · fi oluen aika (time of the first beer (or alcoholic beverage) of the day) · ru пивнадцатый час (time of the first beer (or alcoholic beverage) of the day)