nine to five

== English == === Alternative forms === nine-to-five 9 to 5, 9-to-5, 9-5, 9-2-5 nine while five (Yorkshire) === Etymology === From nine +‎ to +‎ five, referring to the usual office hours in many countries. === Adverb === nine to five (not comparable) From 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. === Noun === nine to five (plural nine to fives) The period between 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., corresponding to the office hours of a typical working day. A typical day job that occupies these working hours; (also) the working day itself. 2010 January-February, Lou′s Clues: Getting to Work (editorial), Ancestry Magazine, page 6, And you might decide that our 9-to-5s today just aren′t so tough. (often with the) The routine imposed by such a work schedule. (by extension) A person who works such a day job. Synonym: nine-to-fiver ==== Derived terms ==== ==== Translations ==== ==== See also ==== === Adjective === nine to five (not comparable) (of a job) Beginning at 9 a.m. and ending at 5 p.m. Relating to or characteristic of the routine or lifestyle centred around a typical working day. (of a person) Working such a job or committed to such a lifestyle. 1976 March, advertisement, Popular Mechanics, page 44, By day, he′s a 9-to-5 man. By night, an explorer in a field that really interests him! === Verb === nine to five (third-person singular simple present nine to fives, present participle nine to fiving, simple past and past participle nine to fived) (informal, intransitive, often with it) To work a typical day job with office hours from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. === Further reading === “nine to five, adj., n., & adv.”, in OED Online ⁠, Oxford: Oxford University Press, launched 2000. “nine-to-five, v.”, in OED Online ⁠, Oxford: Oxford University Press, launched 2000.