beer o'clock

UK/ˌbɪə(ɹ)əˈklɒk/UK/ˌbɪə(ɹ)əʊˈklɒk/US/ˌbɪɹ əˈklɑk/US/ˌbɪɹ oʊˈklɑk/

noun

The time of the first beer (or alcoholic beverage) of the day.

“Questioner: What time is it? Answerer: It's beer o'clock.”

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Meanings

nounbeer o'clock (uncountable)
  1. humorousslanguncountableThe time of the first beer (or alcoholic beverage) of the day.

    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
    3 more examples

    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

    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

    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
  2. humorousslanguncountableTime for a beer (the first of the day or otherwise).

    Questioner: What time is it? Answerer: It's beer o'clock.

    1 more example

    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

Translations

Finnish oluen aika
  • oluen aikatime of the first beer (or alcoholic beverage) of the day
Polish piwna pora
  • piwna poratime of the first beer (or alcoholic beverage) of the day
Russian пивнадцать часов, пивнадцатый час
  • пивнадцать часов (pivnadcatʹ časov)time of the first beer (or alcoholic beverage) of the day
  • пивнадцатый час (pivnadcatyj čas)time of the first beer (or alcoholic beverage) of the day
Ukrainian пивнадцята година
  • пивнадцята година (pyvnadcjata hodyna)time of the first beer (or alcoholic beverage) of the day
Cite this entry
APA

beer o'clock. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/beer%20o'clock

MLA

“beer o'clock.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/beer%20o'clock. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “beer o'clock,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/beer%20o'clock.

Source: beer o'clock on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.