Malagasy Rain

What does it mean someone says "something something at 10:00 or 12:00"? It's almost always used in military issues. I think it has something to do with degrees in a minute or what time is it perhaps.

braces_for_impact

If you're talking about the aerial term, I believe it corresponds to the position of the second hand on the clock, or what it would be pointing to, with the observer at the center of the clock.

For example, if a bogey is at 10 o'clock, then one would look up and left, it the bogey was at 6 o'clock, one would look straight down.

Of course I could be wrong...

Kat_Somm_Faen

If a clock represent full circle then someone coming at you "from 9 o'clock" is coming at you ( I guess attacking fighter pilot ) from your left. "12 o'clock" is ahead I take it and 6 beind you.

NonHomogenized

I always thought that it referred to position in a horizontal plane.
"objective at 12 o'clock" would be straight ahead, "3 o' clock" would be to the right, something "on your six" would be behind you, etc.

Godless Wonder

Imagine a clock face, laid out horizontally, flat on the ground, facing up. You are standing in the center of it, facing the 12.

12:00 is straight ahead.

6:00 is directly behind you.

3:00 is directly to your right.

9:00 is directly to your left.

It is a way of indicating directions which is fairly precise and very concise.

A guy can say "cute girl at 11:00" instead of
"hey look almost straight ahead, but a little to the left, there's a cute girl." For pilots in separate planes, who speak by radio, where physically pointing is useless, this can be a helpful system.

Secular Pinoy

Indeed, this is usually the situation when guys use that way of pointing. "Big breasts 2:00", or "nice eyes 10:30".

Volker.Doormann

The origin of this is East.

East was worshiped as the direction of the sky, were the celestial bodies (planets) ascending from the underworld back at the equinox, what was the beginning of the year and the lights of heaven have its origin in that direction then. This direction Eeast was called orient and the words orientation (origin, original, originate) , ‘originates’ from the definition, that in ancient Arabic spoken counties East was up in maps of the country. This was changed then to ‘North is up’ in European maps until now.

Because of the holy direction East to which was viewed, it comes, that the Hebrew "Yamin" (yaw-meen) is defined as SOUTH direction, in that the hand is directed, if one is 'viewing to East'. This planetary worship is fixed unknown until today in Islam, but the holy East direction is changed to city Mecca by Muhammad. But the southern corner "Yemeni" or "Yamani" of the Kaaba in Mecca traditional is touched by the pilgrims with the right hand and the Hebrew Binyamin (Benjamin) means: ‘Son of my right hand’. The country Yemen is south of Mecca on the Arabia peninsula. The diagonal line of the Kaaba in Mecca, which cuts the East corner with an holy object, directs to an azimuth, the sun ascend in Mecca (21°27'North 39°49' East) at full moon at summer solstice.

Today this 12:00 o’clock etc. is related to the directions in a map with North up specifying the horizontal sky direction using the same direction as a hand shows on a clock if a correct aligned map and clock are beneath together. For example 09:00 o’clock has the meaning of West and 06:00 o’clock means South.

Volker

(02:00 o'clock -> Germany)

MortalWombat

Three wars back we called sauerkraut "liberty cabbage" and we called liberty cabbage "super slaw" and back then a suitcase was known as a "Swedish lunch box." Of course, nobody knew that but me. Anyway, long story short... is a phrase whose origins are complicated and rambling...

Oolon Colluphid

If the bogey were at 6 o'clock, one would look for a hanky.

Oolon

tribalbeeyatch

Close, but Godless Wonder nailed it. If a bogie was "on yer six" that's the same as saying "on yer tail".