nine to five

See also: nine-to-five

English

Alternative forms

• 9 to 5
• nine while five (Yorkshire)

Etymology

Typical office work hours in many countries.

Adverb

nine to five (not comparable)

1. From 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
   • 1980, Dolly Parton (lyrics and music), “9 to 5”:

     Nine to five, what a way to make a living; barely getting by, it's all taking and no giving.

Noun

(the) nine to five (plural nine to fives)

1. A typical working day.

   Going back to the nine to five after the weekend can be depressing.

   • 1974, Gil Scott-Heron, Brian Jackson (lyrics and music), “The Bottle”, in Winter in America:

     He done quit his nine to five, he drink full-time / And now he’s living in a bottle

   • 2023 November 29, Paul Clifton, “West is best in the Highlands”, in RAIL, number 997, page 42:

     "It's always an early or late shift here - there's never a nine-to-five. I wouldn't like a cosy nine-to-five anyway.

Synonyms

• workday

Derived terms

• nine-to-fiver

Translations

typical working day

• Estonian: üheksast viieni
• Finnish: yhdeksästä viiteen

See also

• bankers' hours
• 九九六 (jiǔjiǔliù) (Chinese, literally 996; 9-to-9 workday and six-day workweek)