One in the afternoon is when the country goes back to work. Lunch hours that started at twelve finish, afternoon lessons begin, and the early-afternoon news bulletin has just run. For anyone who works to a fixed break, this is the hour the second half of the day starts.
It is a common slot for appointments precisely because it sits at the beginning of a session — GP surgeries, dentists and clinics often restart at one or half past, and court lists resume in the early afternoon. Warehouse and delivery rounds move into their afternoon phase around now too.
Counting down to 1 pm usually means one of two things: getting somewhere for the start of an afternoon, or finishing something before a break ends. Both benefit from an exact figure rather than a glance at the clock and a rough guess.
Common questions
Why is 1 pm a common appointment slot?
It marks the start of the afternoon session for surgeries, clinics, schools and courts once the lunch break ends.
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