# What does '25 or 6 to 4' mean?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-25-or-6-to-4-mean/117818>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [July 7, 2002, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-25-or-6-to-4-mean/117818 "2002-07-07T20:48:11Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\
**Post date:** [July 7, 2002, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-25-or-6-to-4-mean/117818/1 "2002-07-07T20:48:11Z")

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Well, of course it’s drug slang. I want to know what, exactly, it does mean.

[What was _Chicago_ thinking when they wrote this?](http://www.yimpan.com/Songsite/Lyric/lyric2text.asp?sid=1777)

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**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\
**Post date:** [July 7, 2002, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-25-or-6-to-4-mean/117818/2 "2002-07-07T20:51:39Z")

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According to VH1’s “Behind the Music” it means 25 or 26 minutes to 4 o’clock. To make it easier to sing, they changed it to 25 or 6 to 4. No drug slang.

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**Author:** ![manhattan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/manhattan/32/7_2.png) [@manhattan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/manhattan)\
**Post date:** [July 7, 2002, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-25-or-6-to-4-mean/117818/3 "2002-07-07T21:02:05Z")

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And just for kicks, **SDSTAFF Songbird** on [25 or 6 to 4.](http://www.straightdope.com/mailbag/m25or6to4.html)