# "clean your clock"

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clean-your-clock/2885>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [August 29, 1999, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clean-your-clock/2885 "1999-08-29T15:52:00Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![1420Vel.GN](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/1/35a633/32.png) [@1420Vel.GN](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/1420Vel.GN)\
**Post date:** [August 29, 1999, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clean-your-clock/2885/1 "1999-08-29T15:52:00Z")

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what’s the meaning of that phrase and where did it come from?  
TIA,  
Steve

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**Author:** ![Nickrz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/bbce88/32.png) [@Nickrz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nickrz)\
**Post date:** [August 29, 1999, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clean-your-clock/2885/2 "1999-08-29T16:39:00Z")

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I understand it to mean “kick your ass” as in “I’ll take you (or your arguments, whatever) apart and clean them piece by piece because your ass (or your arguments or your opinions or your clock) is dirty and you can’t even tell the time of day.”

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**Author:** ![elrayoX](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/278dde/32.png) [@elrayoX](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elrayoX)\
**Post date:** [August 29, 1999, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clean-your-clock/2885/3 "1999-08-29T18:46:00Z")

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I’ve always heard it referenced to a loss or near loss of conscienceness caused by severe, blindside football block or tackle, hockey check or an undefensed boxing punch.  
The effect of such a blow on the human brain is not unlike pushing the reset button on your computer.