What it means
To clock someone is to spot them, notice what's really going on, or catch a little move they thought slid under the radar. If you've been clocked, someone's seen through it. It works for people, dodgy behaviour, weird vibes, or tiny details you suddenly pick up on.
Usage examples
"I tried to nip off early, but the boss clocked me hovering by the door, so I legged it back to my desk."
"I clocked him trying to sneak to the front of the queue and gave him a proper look."
"She clocked the price tag still on my jacket before I even sat down, mortifying."
"I clocked straight away that he was only being nice because he needed a lift home."
"Don't act innocent now, I clocked that little eye-roll from across the table."
Where it comes from
This sense grows out of older English uses of clock meaning to hit or to notice, with the notice meaning firmly established in British slang by the 20th century. It likely links to the idea of mentally registering something fast, like your brain ticking it into place the second it lands in view.
Other ways to say it
Editors of this term
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