An English Tutor Online Teaches – “Five O’Clock Shadow”

by Debs (ò?ó)?

An English Tutor Online Teaches – “Five O’Clock Shadow”

One of the fun parts, for foreign speakers,  about learning American English, is learning  to being able to use slang, idioms, and figures of speech that Americans use in their everyday lives.  Natural spoken American English is a bit different from what you read in the normal text books that teach you English.  You probably want to speak naturally, and not sound like a high school student that has taken some English classes.  Here is a very common expession that almost all American’s understand. An American English Tutor Online may be able to help you.

Five O’Clock Shadow

This term simply means the hair on a man’s face has begin to grow since the last time he shaved.  A typical working man shaves his face, in the morning before work.  Since the typical work day is 8-9 hours, by the time many men finish work, their facial hair has begun to grow again and it is easy for other people to see.

Here is a typical conversation using the term “Five O’Clock Shadow.”

Example #1

Wife:  “Honey, I know you were working today, but we are going to dinner at a nice restaurant with Tim & Melissa.  Could you please shave that 5’oclock shadow before we go out?”

Husband:  “No, maybe I don’t want to – I kind of like my five o’clock shadow.  I think it makes me look more handsome!”

Example #2

The Army Sergeant said to the young soldier “This is the Army!  No five o’clock shadows allowed!”

(the sergeant said this because the young soldier was not shaven correctly and the sergeant could see the young soldiers facial hair.

I hope you enjoyed this English Language tip.

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