of, pertaining to, or during the workday, especially the hours from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. when offices are characteristically open for business: the nine-to-five grind.
2.
of, reflecting, or exhibiting a lack of willingness to work beyond the required amount of time or with more than minimal effort: With your nine-to-five mentality, you'll never get a promotion.
mod. typical in terms of working hours; structured and scheduled, starting and ending at set times. (From the expression from nine to five, normal working hours.) : I really wanted a nine-to-five job until I finally got one.
Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions by Richard A. Spears.Fourth Edition. Copyright 2007. Published by McGraw Hill.
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