Keep banker's hours 🏦🤏🕰️

Meaning

To work very short hours, typically closing early.

Origin

This phrase harks back to a bygone era when bank tellers, especially in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, enjoyed remarkably short workdays. Picture it: the vault securely locked, the ledgers neatly stacked, and the employees heading home in the mid-afternoon sunshine while others toiled away. It was a symbol of a privileged, less demanding schedule compared to the gruelling shifts common in factories and many other trades, making it the envy of the working world and cementing its place in our language as shorthand for a convenient, short workday.

💰💲 money commerce 💪📈 work ⏳🕰️ time 💰🔨 trade crafts

Keep banker's hours represented with emoji🏦🤏🕰️

This playful arrangement of symbols, 🏦🤏🕰️, serves as a whimsical reminder of a bygone era of work. It juxtaposes the steadfastness of a bank with the delicate gesture of pinching time, ultimately evoking the concept of 'keeping banker's hours' – a delightful nod to those who master the art of a shorter workday.

Examples

  • My uncle's little shop always seems to keep banker's hours, closing by 3 PM every day.
  • I wish my job would let me keep banker's hours so I could have more time for my hobbies.
  • The local bakery, famous for its doughnuts and its tendency to keep banker's hours, often sells out before lunch.
  • Even though the magical curiosity shop advertised long opening times, it was notorious for keeping banker's hours and vanishing by teatime.

Frequently asked questions

Is keeping banker's hours considered a good thing in modern times?

Not generally, as it implies laziness or an unwillingness to commit to a full workday. While it originated from a time when shorter hours were a privilege, today it often carries a negative connotation of not working hard enough.

Does keeping banker's hours mean you work in a bank?

No, keeping banker's hours is an idiom that describes *anyone* who works unusually short hours. The phrase's origin is tied to the historical practice of banks closing early, but it's now applied metaphorically to any job with a short schedule.

What's the opposite phrase for keeping banker's hours?

There isn't one single, universally accepted opposite phrase, but expressions like 'working around the clock,' 'burning the midnight oil,' or 'pulling a double shift' describe the concept of working very long or extensive hours, which is contrary to banker's hours.

Are banker's hours still common in actual banks today?

Rarely, actual banks today typically operate on much longer schedules that align with customer needs and business demands. The historical reason for the idiom—banks closing very early—is largely a relic of the past.

Similar to "keep banker's hours"

Punch the clock
Both are about the rigidity of work hours, but 'punch the clock' emphasizes the literal act of starting and ending work on time, whereas 'keep banker's hours' focuses on the *shortness* of those mandated hours
Clock in, clock out
Both phrases reference the structured nature of employment, but 'clock in, clock out' speaks to the general routine of daily attendance, while 'keep banker's hours' specifically implies an unusually brief working day within that routine
Work nine to five
Both point to standard working times, but 'work nine to five' describes the typical workday, whereas 'keep banker's hours' usually implies closing even *before* five, a more abbreviated schedule

Opposite of "keep banker's hours"

Burn the midnight oil
This phrase champions the virtue of sustained effort and long hours, directly challenging the notion of working short 'banker's hours' and instead celebrating dedication that extends past conventional times
Go the extra mile
Instead of settling for minimal, mandated hours, 'go the extra mile' argues for exceeding expectations and putting in additional effort, making the brevity of 'banker's hours' seem like a lack of commitment
All hands on deck
This calls for maximum participation and often extended effort during busy periods, contrasting sharply with the selective and abbreviated schedule implied by 'banker's hours'

Related to "keep banker's hours"

Shop doesn't open until ten
This phrase shares the concept of beginning the workday late, a common characteristic of businesses that also 'keep banker's hours' and close early
Close early
This is the direct consequence of keeping banker's hours; the two phrases are inextricably linked, describing the same business practice from slightly different, but complementary, perspectives
9 to 5
While 'banker's hours' implies working *less* than the conventional '9 to 5', both phrases are shorthand for standard, established working periods
Siesta
This relates through the idea of a midday break that can significantly shorten the effective working day, much like keeping banker's hours implies a working day that ends prematurely