it's five o'clock somewhere

phrase

Used as an excuse for drinking alcoholic beverages outside of customary hours.

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Meanings

phrase
  1. idiomaticUsed as an excuse for drinking alcoholic beverages outside of customary hours.

Origin

Related to the convention of not consuming alcohol prior to the end of working hours (generally 5 PM), and alluding to time offsets.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

it's five o'clock somewhere. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/it's%20five%20o'clock%20somewhere

MLA

“it's five o'clock somewhere.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/it's%20five%20o'clock%20somewhere. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “it's five o'clock somewhere,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/it's%20five%20o'clock%20somewhere.

Source: it's five o'clock somewhere on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.