on the hour

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Idioms and Phrases

At every hour exactly; one o'clock, two o'clock, and so on. For example, The shuttle to New York departs on the hour . An extension of this idiom is every hour on the hour , meaning every time the clock's big hand reaches twelve, as in The bus passes by the house every hour on the hour .

Word of the Day

April 18, 2024petrichor

[pet-ri-kawr]

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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

on the horns of a dilemma on the house

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