“I asked my boss if I could leave half an hour early the other day. He said ‘only if you make up the time’...”

When an employee has to “make up the time,” that means, for example, staying late until a job is done. It doesn’t mean making up a fictional time, but there are jokes.
 
“I asked my boss if I could leave half an hour early the other day. He said ‘only if you make up the time.’ I said ‘OK it’s 35 past 50’” was posted on X/Twitter by Getting Shirty (and others) on December 23, 2010. “I said to my boss ‘Do you mind if I leave a bit earlier today?’ ‘Only if you can make up the time.’ He replied. I said ‘Ok, it’s eleventy past seventeen’” was posted on X/Twitter by Robert Wilkinson on January 25, 2026.
 
 
X/Twitter
theredmist
@StephenJButcher
I asked my boss if I could leave half an hour early for christmas day, he said ‘only if you make up the time’ I said ‘OK it’s 35 past 50’
2:03 PM · Dec 23, 2010
 
X/Twitter
Paul Rodger
@player112345
I asked my boss if I could leave half an hour early the other day, he said ‘only if you make up the time’
I said ‘OK it’s 35 past 50’
2:08 PM · Dec 23, 2010
 
X/Twitter
Getting Shirty
@GettingShirty
I asked my boss if I could leave half an hour early the other day
He said ‘only if you make up the time’
I said ‘OK it’s 35 past 50’
2:20 PM · Dec 23, 2010
 
X/Twitter
Bob Kostic
@causticbob
I asked my boss if I could leave half an hour early the other day.
He said, ” Only if you make up the time.”
I said, ” OK. It’s 35 past 50.”
2:48 PM · Jun 20, 2012
 
X/Twitter
Xela Cumbadger
@XelaCumbadger
I asked my boss if I could leave half an hour early the other day.
He said, ” Only if you make up the time.”
I said, ” OK. It’s 35 past 50.”
6:48 AM · Oct 24, 2012
 
X/Twitter
Bob Kostic
@causticbob
I asked my boss if I could leave half an hour early the other day.
He said, ” Only if you make up the time.”
I said,” OK. It’s 35 past 50”
2:39 PM · May 14, 2013
 
X/Twitter 
Bob Kostic
@causticbob
I asked my boss if I could leave half an hour early the other day. He said, ” Only if you make up the time.” I said, ” OK. It’s 35 past 50”
5:45 PM · Sep 14, 2013
 
X/Twitter
Bob Kostic
@causticbob
I asked my boss if I could leave half an hour early the other day.
He said, ” Only if you make up the time.”
I said, ” OK. It’s 35 past 50.”
5:34 PM · Dec 9, 2015
 
X/Twitter
Andrew Raeburn
@andrew_raeburn
I asked my boss: “Can I leave early today?”
He replied: “You’ll have to make up the time”
I said: “It’s 114 minutes past 17.”
1:03 PM · Nov 17, 2016
 
X/Twitter
Worlds Okayest Runner
@RunSnackRepeat
I asked my boss if I could leave early tomorrow. She said ‘Only if you make up the time!‘I replied ‘OK, its 30 days shy of a Solar Eclipse.’
10:41 PM · Feb 27, 2017
 
X/Twitter
i.am.phil
@philwithy69
I asked my boss if I could leave work half an hour early today.
He said “Only if you can make up the time”
I said “Ok, it’s now 35 past 50”
4:14 AM · Apr 28, 2018
 
X/Twitter
Jonsta
@Jonsta1990
ME: Boss, can I leave half an hour early?
BOSS: Only if you make up the time
ME: OK. It’s thirty-five past fifty
1:54 AM · May 18, 2018
 
Reddit—Dadjokes
porichoygupto—October 31, 2018
Me: Can I leave work early? Boss: Only if you make up the time.
Me: Ok, 45 past 60.
Boss: You’re fired.
 
X/Twitter
Dad Jokes
@Dadsaysjokes
Me: Can I leave work early?
Boss: Only if you make up the time.
Me: OK 45 past 60.
Boss: You’re fired.
12:36 PM · Oct 31, 2018
 
X/Twitter
vic
@vic_pinkman
Me: “Can I leave work half hour early?”
Boss: “Only if you make up the time.”
Me: “OK. It’s 35 past 50.”
Boss: “Just go..”
10:42 AM · Feb 15, 2019 from Kenya
 
Reddit—Jokes
porichoygupto—July 11, 2019
Man: Boss, can I leave early today?
Boss: Only if you make up the time.
Man: Fine. It’s 35 past 70.
Boss: You’re fired.
 
Reddit—Jokes
Shuffle-Tee—November 3, 2019
I asked my boss if I could leave half an hour early today. He said “only if you make up the time”
I said “okay. It’s quarter past a million”
 
Reddit—Jokes
porichoygupto—May 16, 2020
Me: Can I leave work early today?
Boss: Only if you make up the time.
Me: Fine. It’s 75 past 13 O clock.
Boss:...You’re fired.
 
X/Twitter
Bob Kostic
@causticbob
I asked my boss if I could leave half an hour early the other day.
He said, ” Only if you make up the time.”
I said, ” OK. It’s 35 past 50.”
12:16 PM · Jun 20, 2021
 
Reddit—Jokes
porichoygupto—February 28, 2023
I asked my boss, “Can I leave work early today?”
Boss: Only if you make up the time.
Me: It’s 49 past 70 o clock.
Boss: You’re fired.
 
X/Twitter
Richardthesecond
@Richardtheseco2
I asked my boss if I could leave early today . He said “only if you make up the time “. I said , “ ok thanks , it’s 35 past 50 “
2:19 AM · Jun 9, 2023
 
Bluesky
Bobby Parker
‪@legionbobo.bsky.social‬
Me, “Boss, can I leave early today?”
Boss, “Sure, if you make up the time.”
I replied, “It’s twenty past fourteen. Bye.”
8:25 PM · Oct 14, 2024
 
Bluesky
Leftbobgolfer
‪@leftbobgolfer.bsky.social‬
I asked if I could leave work early the other day, and the boss said, “yes, if you make up the time.”
I said, “sure, it’s twenty past fourteen.”
7:50 AM · Dec 7, 2024
 
BLuesky
Topper
‪@topperuk.bsky.social‬
Me: “Can I leave work early?”
Boss: “Only if you make up the time”
Me: “OK, It’s 63 past 19”.
11:10 AM · Apr 10, 2025
 
X/Twitter
Miss Ally
@MissAlly_01
I asked my boss if I could leave work early the other day & he said,” Yes, if you can make up the time.”
So I said, “Sure, it’s twenty past fourteen.”
10:03 PM · Oct 20, 2025
 
X/Twitter
Robert Wilkinson
@robertwlk
I said to my boss “Do you mind if I leave a bit earlier today?”
“Only if you can make up the time.” He replied.
I said “Ok, it’s eleventy past seventeen.”
2:23 AM · Jan 25, 2026