afternoon farmer
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
One who wastes his best opportunity, and drives off the large end of his work to the little end of his time.
Era: ca. 1874 (Victorian)
Where it’s used:
Origin
British & Irish English
Sources & notes
Historical definition reproduced from Hotten’s The Slang Dictionary (1874, public domain; Project Gutenberg #42108, retrieved 2026-07-31). Reflects the attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “afternoon farmer” mean?
One who wastes his best opportunity, and drives off the large end of his work to the little end of his time.
Is “afternoon farmer” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.