Definition

A traditional full-time job with standard working hours from 9 AM to 5 PM, Monday through Friday, symbolizing conventional employment and the regular workplace routine.

Example Usage

She left her 9 to 5 to start freelancing and never looked back.

Origin

Originated from the standardization of business hours in early-to-mid 20th century America; Dolly Parton's 1980 song 'Nine to Five' popularized the phrase culturally.

Fun Fact

Despite its name, many '9 to 5' jobs today run longer hours and extend beyond traditional weekdays.

Source: Definition backfill (hailey)

Related Terms

Intermediate

fulcrum

The pivot point or support about which a lever operates, making it possible to move mountains (or at least heavy objects) with minimal effort. Archimedes' favorite device for understanding the entire universe.

💼 Corporate / Business
Beginner

vice-president

A senior executive who serves as second-in-command, ready to step into the top role when needed, or more commonly, someone who runs an important division while collecting an impressive title. In startups, vice-presidents multiply like rabbits; in established corporations, becoming one actually means something. The corporate equivalent of being heir to the throne, except with more spreadsheets.

💼 Corporate / Business
Beginner

Double-click

To examine something in greater detail, as if you're opening a folder on your desktop. Usually said right before someone asks you questions you can't answer.

💼 Corporate / Business
Beginner

unpack

To analyze or explain something in detail, transforming 'let's discuss' into something that sounds more intellectually rigorous. The verbal equivalent of unnecessary packaging.

💼 Corporate / Business
Beginner

Paper Route

A job in which a young person regularly delivers newspapers to homes in a neighborhood, typically earning money per delivery or subscription. Historically one of the most common first jobs for children and teenagers.

💼 Corporate / Business
Beginner

promotion

The art of making something or someone appear more important and valuable through strategic noise-making and information dissemination. In corporate contexts, it's the carrot dangled before ambitious employees, promising more money and responsibility (emphasis on responsibility). In marketing, it's the carefully orchestrated campaign to convince people they desperately need what you're selling.

💼 Corporate / Business

Translate This Term

See “9 to 5” in Corporate Speak, Gen-Z Slang, Pirate Speak, and more.

Try the Translator

Share This Term

Post on XShare on FacebookShare on LinkedIn

Discover a Term

Intermediate

accrual accounting

An accounting method that records revenues and expenses when they're earned or incurred, not when cash actually changes ...