“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…”

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