five-and-twenty

English

Numeral

five-and-twenty

  1. (archaic) Twenty-five.
    • 1879, Henry James, chapter III, in Confidence, London: Chatto & Windus:
      Having brought it to a close, he took his way to the Kursaal. The great German watering-place is one of the prettiest nooks in Europe, and of a summer evening in the gaming days, five-and-twenty years ago, it was one of the most brilliant scenes.

Usage notes
  • Five-and-twenty is used by some older speakers instead of twenty-five when referring to that many minutes before or after the hour, as in five-and-twenty past six.
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