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Parochial Orphan Posted 19 years ago
Vocabulary

"small hours"

0I've been reading "David Copperfield / Charles Dickens", and I found a line which goes like this:02br
02br
01font00...these gifts are attached...to all unlucky infant of either gender, born towards the 01b01i00small hours02i02b00 on a Friday night.02font02br
02br
00Well, I know this phrase "the small hours" means "the midnight".02br
00The question is, if this expression is commonly used these days.02br
00It sounds quite literary to me.02br
00So I wonder if you guys, native speakers, use it in a daily conversation or writings such as diaries.02br
02br
00Thank you. P.O.0-
  

Top answer

0 No, it isn't literary. One can use it in conversation, IMO. 02br 00 ------02br 01b 00small hours02b 00 02br 02br 00 Function: 01i 00noun plural02br 02br 02i 00 01font 01b 00:02b 00 hours of the early morning immediately following midnight02font 00 -- used with 01i 00the02i 02br 02br 05002br 00 --------02br 0240

— Marius Hancu

  • 0 No, it isn't literary.
  • One can use it in conversation, IMO.
  • 02br 00 ------02br 01b 00small hours02b 00 02br 02br 00 Function: 01i 00noun plural02br 02br 02i 00 01font 01b 00:02b 00 hours of the early morning immediately following midnight02font 00 -- used with 01i 00the02i 02br 02br 05002br 00 --------02br 0240
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9 Answers
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0 No, it isn't literary. One can use it in conversation, IMO. 02br
00 ------02br
01b00small hours02b00 02br
02br
00 Function: 01i00noun plural02br
02br
02i00 01font01b00:02b00 hours of the early morning immediately following midnight02font
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0 01blockquote
01cite10Parochial Orphan12cite10So I wonder if you guys, native speakers, use it in a daily conversation or writings such as diaries.12br
12br
10Thank you. P.O.12br
12blockquote
11b01font00Also expressed often as "wee hours of the morning".02font
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0Hi,02br
02br
00Frank Sinatra sang a song called 01font01b00In The Wee Small Hours Of The Morning.02b02font02br
02br
01b00Best wishes, Clive02b0-
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0Now, nowadays, a related (but different!) "happy hour(s)" may be more frequent, esp wrt bars050010id1
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0Hi,02br
02br
00'Happy hour' in a bar usually refers to a specific period early in the evening. The bar serves cheap drinks in an offer to increase business at that time. eg 01font00Happy Hour 6pm to 7pm. Drinks 2-for-1.02font02br
02br
00The wee small hours is just a rather general phrase, for the period roughly af
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0Right. Thank you all! 0-
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0 I've always assumed they were called that as they are the smallest numbers: 1am 2am 3am. 0-
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0 01blockquote
01cite10Nona The Brit12cite10I've always assumed they were called that as they are the smallest numbers: 1am 2am 3am.12blockquote
10I've always thought the same Nona! (yep, we say "small hours" in Italy too)0-
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0Nona> Oh, I see. That helps me memorise it. cheers!02br
02br
00Francesca> Interesting. So it's common in Italy as well0-
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