Is it 5 O'Clock yet?

It's Thursday afternoon, and all you can think about is getting away from the mind-numbing computer in the office and grabbing a cold one at the corner bar with some close friends. That, my dear, is what we call "Happy Hour." But has anyone ever stopped to think about where this phrase came from? I mean, of course it's "happy" because of the booze, but really, is there a story behind this event we so often celebrate?

Apparently, the phrase "Happy Hour" came from the United States Navy in the 1920's where the phrase was slang for being a bit drunk during performances held on-ship. Shocking!

Back in the day, during the prohibition era, happy hours were called "cocktail hours," in which people would host underground drinking parties where one could have a few drinks before dinner. Seeing as how alcohol could not be served with food legally, everyone had to get their fix somehow! However, to make a happy ending, the Saturday Evening Post wrote an article in the 1960's on military life and brought the "Happy Hour" back to it's original glory. (Minus the navy men in uniforms)

Now-a-days, we simply celebrate a long, hard day's work with a drink or two, snack on some appetizers, and call it a day.

Get this though, the U.S. military has since outlawed happy hours at all military base clubs. How Rude!