Meaning
What does Happy Hump Day mean?
The meaning behind the phrase Happy Hump Day is referring to the middle of the week. More specifically, to Wednesday.
People use this expression as an encouragement for their colleagues to get through Wednesday because then it’s almost the weekend.
“Happy Hump Day” is mainly used in office environments.
Origin
What's the origin of Happy Hump Day?
Wednesday has been called and known as Hump day since at least the 1950s. The origin of the name refers to Wednesday as a hump people have to get over to coast into the weekend.
The earliest evidence of Co-workers wishing each other a “Happy Hump Day” dates back to the 1980s.
They may use the phrase to acknowledge that day-to-day work can be a drag sometimes.
Spread & Usage
How did Happy Hump Day spread?
Fast forward to September 2013, when an insurance company going by the name GEICO made a commercial.
The commercial features a talking camel called Caleb, who is now associated with the phrase since the commercial aired and went viral. Caleb walks through the generic office cubicles and asks the Co-workers what day is it.
They all roll their eyes and answer “it’s hump day”, then two men with guitars explain that people who choose GEICO insurance are “happier than a camel on Wednesday.”
The commercial was the seventh most viewed video on Youtube in 2013.
External resources
- Dictionary.com – Happy Hump Day