420: time 1. the time to get high (4:20)

Origin: the Waldos

Example: “It’s 4:19, we can smoke in one minute at 4:20.”

There seems to be a lot of debate about the genesis of four twenty. The most accountable story is that it began as a code term for a group of high schoolers looking for a lost crop of cannabis. While this story appears to be something out of urban legend, it is validated by High Times magazine in the article “Are You Stoner Smart or Stoner Stupid.” The article, written by Steven Hager, suggests that

4:20 is the socially acceptable time to herb up,

making 420 a symbol for stoners in America and the U.K. Likened to cocktail hour for drinkers, 420 has become the perfect time to enjoy prohibited delicacies. The late afternoon hour, with its cooler temperatures and changing spectrum, invokes a sense of relaxation and content that pairs perfectly with a spliff of purple bliss.

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