Discussion Groups / English Usage / November 2006

On 09 Nov 2006, Marius Hancu wrote

More like "efficiently", I think.

OED gives this:

(quote)

b. like one o'clock [perh. from the speed required to eat lunch
during the working day; see N. & Q. 9th Ser. 1900 6 305, etc.]:
vigorously, quickly; excellently; enthusiastically.

1847 J. O. HALLIWELL Dict. Archaic & Provinc. Words II. 588/2 Like
one-o'clock, i.e. very rapidly, said of a horse's movement, &c.
1851 H. MAYHEW London Labour I. 29/1 Then he trotted on like one
o'clock. 1853 DICKENS Bleak House xx. 200 Mr. Guppy and Mr.
Jobling..find Krook still sleeping like one o'clock..quite
insensible to any external sounds, or even to gentle shaking. 1870
M. BRIDGMAN Robert Lynne I. xviii. 317 We pulled every one to
pieces like one o'clock. 1901 M. FRANKLIN My Brilliant Career xix.
161 He had a taste for literature, and we got on together like one
o'clock. 1924 J. GALSWORTHY White Monkey III. xv. 321 Anything
about the meeting, sir? Your speech must read like one o'clock!
1970 V. C. CLINTON-BADDELEY No Case for Police viii. 179 It's going
to rain like one o'clock. 2000 Birmingham Post (Nexis) 30 Oct. 16,
I tell you though, I am shedding weight like one o'clock.

(/quote)

(...)

Yeah, but it's an allusion to a simile, so it doesn't read like
clockwork.