其实这句话出自于一句很早（上世纪初）一个剧本《Ennui the Timekiller》里的台词，原文如下：: I've an idea I don't like the Lady Waitfor't - she wishes to trick me out of my match with Miss Coutney, and if I could trick her in return - (_takes out his watch_). How goes the enemy - only one o'clock! I thought it had been that an hour ago. (_The Dramatist_)
Ennui 的毕生事业就是时间杀手，所以才剧中才有了How go the enemy?（现在几点了）这句话，意思就是“时间杀手这个敌人现在怎么样了？”喻指几点钟了。严格意义上说，这并不是俚语，而是一句流行语，所以并没有什么实际意义。