Meaning of "I'm kind of on a clock here"?

Question

In the TV show *Friends*, there is the following conversation:> — Did you ask him? — No, I haven't had a chance yet. — I'm kind of on a clock here. — Oh, Fonzie. — You know who I always liked? Mork. So what does *on a clock* mean? Does it mean "in a hurry"?

Answer 1

First, are you sure the phrase is "I'm kind of on *a* clock here", or "I'm kind of on *the* clock here"?

Either way, the speaker likely used the expression to show that he was working for his employer, and therefore not available to have the conversation.

For example, you see your friend who is working as a mailman. He's walking down the street delivering mail. You stop him and try to talk about what happened to you that morning, but because he is working, he says, "I 'm sorry, I can't talk right now, can't you see I'm on the clock?" In other words, he's asking, "Can't you see I'm working?" His time isn't his to give, because he's working for someone.

Idioms sure are tricky...feel free to ask anytime you come across another! There are many out there in the English language, and often you can find out the meaning as well as the origin of idiom by searching for it through a search engine like Google. Try searching for "I'm on the clock" and see if you can find why the idiom may have developed! It can help you visualize it and remember the meaning.

Wishing you success!