Puerto Rican time
- noun
- /ˈpwɛrtoʊ ˈriːkən taɪm/
- Offensive
:
[ofensivo][informal] hora boricua
- She isn't actually late; she's just operating on Puerto Rican time.
Examples
-
Let's meet at 3 PM, but remember it's Puerto Rican time.
-
The meeting started much later than scheduled, in true Puerto Rican time.
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Don't worry if they're not here yet—it's just Puerto Rican time.
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Maria always arrives late due to Puerto Rican time.
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Don't worry if they're not here yet—it's just Puerto Rican time.
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The meeting started much later than scheduled, in true Puerto Rican time.
-
Maria always arrives late due to Puerto Rican time.
Synonyms
A relaxed approach to schedules where people often arrive late
A relaxed way of dealing with time in Hawaii where events often start later than planned
A relaxed way of keeping time when people often arrive late
A relaxed way of planning time and events common in Pacific island cultures
A relaxed way of keeping time where being late is normal
How Punctual
Surface Forms
Morphology
The phrase literally combines the demonym 'Puerto Rican' with 'time', so a learner can infer it relates to how time or punctuality operates in Puerto Rico. However, the specific idiomatic meaning — a culturally specific stereotype that events run later than scheduled — relies on sociocultural knowledge and is not fully predictable from the words alone, making it only partially transparent.
Etymology
Puerto Rican time may come from a common habit on the island: events and visits often start later than planned because people value being with others more than strict clocks. So, it means 'a relaxed attitude to punctuality' or simply 'running late'.