# Cometh the hour cometh the man.......different meanings?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cometh-the-hour-cometh-the-man-different-meanings/841896>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [October 17, 2019, 12:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cometh-the-hour-cometh-the-man-different-meanings/841896 "2019-10-17T12:17:22Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Nansbread1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Nansbread1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nansbread1)\
**Post date:** [October 17, 2019, 12:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cometh-the-hour-cometh-the-man-different-meanings/841896/1 "2019-10-17T12:17:22Z")

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For decades I have heard this phrase and took the literal meaning. In the time of need (hour) the real man comes to the fore…

But I have also heard laughter at the phrase and assumed that the phrase was used to signify that

a real man takes a hour in the act of sex to come (ejaculate).

Is there any other explanation for the phrase? Have you ever considered my second explanation as applicable to the phrase?

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**Author:** ![AK84](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85e7bf/32.png) [@AK84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AK84)\
**Post date:** [October 17, 2019, 12:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cometh-the-hour-cometh-the-man-different-meanings/841896/2 "2019-10-17T12:36:19Z")

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If cometh in an hour, then you need to see a urologist ASAP.

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**Author:** ![Nansbread1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Nansbread1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nansbread1)\
**Post date:** [October 17, 2019, 12:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cometh-the-hour-cometh-the-man-different-meanings/841896/3 "2019-10-17T12:55:36Z")

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> [@AK84](#):
>
> If cometh in an hour, then you need to see a urologist ASAP.

Really?

Its a pre requisite for some jobs.

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**Author:** ![bob\_2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bob_2/32/3341_2.png) [@bob\_2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bob_2)\
**Post date:** [October 17, 2019, 1:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cometh-the-hour-cometh-the-man-different-meanings/841896/4 "2019-10-17T13:19:03Z")

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> [@Nansbread1](#):
>
> Have you ever considered my second explanation as applicable to the phrase?

No

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**Author:** ![Inigo\_Montoya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inigo_montoya/32/124_2.png) [@Inigo\_Montoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inigo_Montoya)\
**Post date:** [October 17, 2019, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cometh-the-hour-cometh-the-man-different-meanings/841896/5 "2019-10-17T14:11:35Z")

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> [@Nansbread1](#):
>
> Its a pre requisite for some jobs.

And a deal breaker for others.

The first interpretation is the root of my understanding of the phrase, except there is an element of despair/let down before the cometh-ing. Like when Bilbo is waiting for the last light of Durin’s day to do it’s thing, but it doesn’t and he’s all bummed, and then … there it is. It’s an inexorable process, tied entirely to fate.

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**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\
**Post date:** [October 17, 2019, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cometh-the-hour-cometh-the-man-different-meanings/841896/6 "2019-10-17T15:07:26Z")

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There is nothing that cannot be turned into sniggering by the idiot class. That does not change the meaning of the original.