# 420 ? Wtf ? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [July 14, 2004, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/420-wtf/254994 "2004-07-14T01:07:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Indygrrl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/58f4c7/32.png) [@Indygrrl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Indygrrl)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2004, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/420-wtf/254994/21 "2004-07-14T16:13:16Z")
Yeah, I’m not a pot smoker, but I’ve known a lot of them. I didn’t know about 420 until years ago when my bf and I went to a county fair and there was this booth with a ton of interesting bumper stickers. I saw one that said 4:20 on it. I had no idea what it meant, and neither did he. We thought it had something to do with aliens. 😃 Then I asked a few more friends and they enlightened me. haha. ---
**Author:** ![Gotterfunken](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/58956e/32.png) [@Gotterfunken](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gotterfunken)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2004, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/420-wtf/254994/22 "2004-07-14T16:22:05Z")
I hadn’t heard the term until three years ago, when I was informed that it was common knowledge. I’ve never been a stoner, but I was surprised I’d never heard it before then, considering that the phrase has been in existence since 1971, and in popular culture at least since 1982 (the year _Fast Times at Ridgemont High_ was released–the Snopes link cites it as making a “420” reference). ---
**Author:** ![FilmGeek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b19c9b/32.png) [@FilmGeek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FilmGeek)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2004, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/420-wtf/254994/23 "2004-07-14T17:51:55Z")
I knew about it in elementary school… late eighties, early nineties. Hmm. (I did have to ask my brother what it meant). ---
**Author:** ![Nutty\_Bunny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/d07c76/32.png) [@Nutty\_Bunny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nutty_Bunny)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2004, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/420-wtf/254994/24 "2004-07-14T19:40:06Z")
> [@SPOOFE](#): > > Besides, it’s more fun to think of one’s own terms… wanna go dreeze the shoofooballoo? Back in the day…okay, a couple of years ago…our code word was “Cocoa Puffs”. 🆒 ---
**Author:** ![Queen\_Bee\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/e480ec/32.png) [@Queen\_Bee\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Queen_Bee_1)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2004, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/420-wtf/254994/25 "2004-07-14T19:46:06Z")
> [@grienspace](#): > > I just found out from my 13 year old daughter that 420 is quite a significant number based on the pot culture and commonly known by teenagers and pot smokers around the world for years. Google confirms this. > > I’m really surprised that I could have been so totally unaware of this popular term. > Was I all alone in this particular ignorance? Nope, because although I knew it had _something_ to do with drugs 'n stuff, I just now learned exactly what it meant. :smack: Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![Chairman\_Pow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/838e76/32.png) [@Chairman\_Pow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chairman_Pow)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2004, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/420-wtf/254994/26 "2004-07-14T22:33:30Z")
Am I the only one who finds it ironic that a guy named “grienspace” has to ask this question? ---
**Author:** ![Rex\_Fenestrarum](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rex_fenestrarum/32/7265_2.png) [@Rex\_Fenestrarum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rex_Fenestrarum)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2004, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/420-wtf/254994/27 "2004-07-14T23:02:50Z")
Now that you know, look at how often clocks say 4:20 in movies and TV (I’m thinking of teenage movies like _Eurotrip_ and the _American Pie_ series.) Most of the time, no mention is made of it - you just notice it in the background. ---
**Author:** ![SPOOFE](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c5a1d2/32.png) [@SPOOFE](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SPOOFE)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2004, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/420-wtf/254994/28 "2004-07-15T02:06:02Z")
> [@](#): > > Back in the day…okay, a couple of years ago…our code word was “Cocoa Puffs”. That’s terrible… nowadays, “cocoa puffs” is slang for mixing weed and cocaine. Or at least in my area. (Actually, if you want my own repertoire of terms, I use “5.1.1.a” to mean “smoke some weed!”, and “Homer” - for “Homer Heche”, which just sounds like slang for weed.) ---
**Author:** ![Bongmaster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Bongmaster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bongmaster)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2004, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/420-wtf/254994/29 "2004-07-16T15:49:57Z")
I’ve known for quite some time. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Nutty\_Bunny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/d07c76/32.png) [@Nutty\_Bunny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nutty_Bunny)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2004, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/420-wtf/254994/30 "2004-07-16T18:02:14Z")
> [@SPOOFE](#): > > That’s terrible… nowadays, “cocoa puffs” is slang for mixing weed and cocaine. Or at least in my area. :eek: Eesh! We didn’t do that–just the weed, thank you. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2004, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/420-wtf/254994/31 "2004-07-16T18:15:15Z")
What time is it 69 minutes past 3:11? heheheh. ---
**Author:** ![Kyla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/eada6e/32.png) [@Kyla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kyla)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2004, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/420-wtf/254994/32 "2004-07-16T18:49:59Z")
I first heard it in high school (mid-90s). I doubt it’s much of a regional thing (at least in North America) because I actually did grow up in the region - about 20 minutes from San Rafael - and based on the statements in this thead, it’s neither more or less common in the North Bay than it is anywhere else. ---
**Author:** ![vibrotronica](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/a9a28c/32.png) [@vibrotronica](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vibrotronica)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2004, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/420-wtf/254994/33 "2004-07-16T19:22:49Z")
> [@Rex Fenestrarum](#): > > Now that you know, look at how often clocks say 4:20 in movies and TV (I’m thinking of teenage movies like _Eurotrip_ and the _American Pie_ series.) Most of the time, no mention is made of it - you just notice it in the background. It even happens in _Lost in Translation_! ---
**Author:** ![brianjedi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3be4f8/32.png) [@brianjedi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brianjedi)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2004, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/420-wtf/254994/34 "2004-07-16T19:33:56Z")
The rock station I used to listen to at home played Weezer’s “Hash Pipe” every afternoon at or around 4:20 for about a month and a half one summer. No mention was ever made of it on air, but it just happened. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/420-wtf/254994.md?page=1)