# 25 or 6 to 4

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/25-or-6-to-4/538004>\
**Category:** Cecil's Columns/Staff Reports\
**Created:** [May 2, 2010, 3:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/25-or-6-to-4/538004 "2010-05-02T03:39:00Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![Jinx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Jinx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jinx)\
**Post date:** [May 7, 2010, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/25-or-6-to-4/538004/21 "2010-05-07T02:12:28Z")

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> [@Johnny\_L.A](#):
>
> …And speaking of Robert Lamm (you know – the guy who actually wrote the song), he is quoted [in the column](http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/1842/what-does-the-chicago-lyric-25-or-6-to-4-mean) as saying that ‘25 or 6 to four’ is the time of day in the song.

A friend of mine swears it is all linked to drugs. He claims “25 or 6 to 4” is some kind of expression amongst druggies for cocaine purity. It’s all like an inkblot test…only without the inkblots! :rolleyes:

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**Author:** ![Icerigger](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/icerigger/32/432_2.png) [@Icerigger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Icerigger)\
**Post date:** [May 7, 2010, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/25-or-6-to-4/538004/22 "2010-05-07T14:39:52Z")

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The Music Video of the song in the original MTV days used the whole 1984 oppressive society theme.

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**Author:** ![Sparky812](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eb9ed0/32.png) [@Sparky812](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sparky812)\
**Post date:** [May 7, 2010, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/25-or-6-to-4/538004/23 "2010-05-07T15:31:24Z")

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> [@Jinx](#):
>
> A friend of mine swears it is all linked to drugs. He claims “25 or 6 to 4” is some kind of expression amongst druggies for cocaine purity. It’s all like an inkblot test…only without the inkblots! :rolleyes:

Your friend needs a drug test.😃

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**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\
**Post date:** [May 7, 2010, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/25-or-6-to-4/538004/24 "2010-05-07T18:01:18Z")

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> [@Gangster\_Octopus](#):
>
> Man, everybody here is so linear in the temporal thinking.

Come on. I knew six years ago that you were going to post that.

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**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\
**Post date:** [May 7, 2010, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/25-or-6-to-4/538004/25 "2010-05-07T18:20:29Z")

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> [@Little\_Nemo](#):
>
> Does anybody really know what time it is? Does anybody really care?

And then the man he steps right up to the microphone,  
And says at last just as the time bell rings,  
“Goodnight. Now it’s time to go home”

I know, Dire Straits, not Chicago. But I thought it would be a funny response.

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