milk the clock

work idiom

The phrase "milk the clock" is an idiomatic expression used in workplace contexts, typically referring to the act of deliberately extending work time to gain financial or personal benefits.

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Definition

C1Workplace

(idiomatic, colloquial)To intentionally prolong tasks or appear busy to extend working hours and earn more money.

Example

He was accused of milking the clock by taking twice as long to complete simple tasks.
Instead of finishing early, she milked the clock to get extra overtime pay.

Similar

Terms that have similar or relatively close meanings to "milk the clock":

beat the clock stop someone's clock on the clock clock in ticking clock keep time clock on clock onto wall clock make time