a wee dram

A small amount of liquor, often whisky. Primarily heard in Scotland. How about a wee dram of whisky for the road? Come on, stay at the pub a little longer, will ya? Just have a wee dram with me! Grandmother always insisted that a wee dram of whisky before bed made her sleep better.

bide a wee

To stay for a short period of time. Primarily heard in Scotland. You can't leave already—I haven't seen you in so long! At least bide a wee. I'm sorry, but I have to catch the 5:00 train, so I can't bide a wee today. She didn't bide a wee, so I wasn't able to get an update on all the drama at her job.

go wee

To urinate. Primarily heard in UK. A: "Mommy, I need to go wee!" B: "OK, sweetie, let's go to the toilet." Tom! Don't go wee on the side of the road like that. What are you, an animal? Honey, do you have to go wee before we leave the house?

go wee-wee

To urinate. This phrase is typically used by or with children. Sweetheart, do you have to go wee-wee before we leave the house? A: "How's potty training going?" B: "Well, Billy has no problem going wee-wee, just as long as he's not on the toilet." A: "Mommy, I need to go wee-wee!" B: "OK, sweetie, let's go to the toilet."

since Adam was a wee lad

For a very long time. An allusion to Adam, the first human created by God in the Bible. What does Grandma mean when she says she's been teaching third grade since Adam was a wee lad?

take a wee

To urinate. Primarily heard in UK. A: "Mommy, I need to take a wee!" B: "OK, sweetie, let's go to the toilet." Tom! Don't take a wee on the side of the road like that. What are you, an animal?

the wee hours (of the night/morning)

The very early hours after midnight. I was studying for the exam until the wee hours of the morning, and now I can barely keep my eyes open! We all danced until the wee hours of the night. I love the wee hours, when few are awake and one can be alone with one's thoughts.

the wee small hours (of the night/morning)

The very early hours after midnight. I was studying for the exam until the wee small hours of the morning, and now I can barely keep my eyes open! We all danced until the wee small hours of the night. I love the wee small hours, when few are awake and one can be alone with one's thoughts.

the small hours (of the night)

and the wee hours (of the night)

the hours immediately after midnight. The dance went on into the small hours of the night. Jim goes to bed in the wee hours and gets up at lunchtime.

See also: hour, small

small hours

Also, wee hours. The hours following midnight, as in I stayed up working through the small hours, or The parents didn't come home until the wee hours. The adjectives small and wee both refer to the low numbers of those hours (one o'clock, two o'clock, etc.). [c. 1830]

See also: hour, small

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer. Copyright © 2003, 1997 by The Christine Ammer 1992 Trust. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

the small hours

the wee hours

COMMON The small hours or the wee hours is the time from one o'clock in the morning until about five or six o'clock in the morning. They were arrested in the small hours of Saturday morning. That first night back, Jennifer and I sat up in bed talking into the wee hours.

See also: hour, small

the (wee) small hours

the early hours of the morning immediately after midnight.

See also: hour, small

wee hours

The early hours of the morning right after midnight: "post-disco electronic rhythms that propel clubgoers into the wee hours" (Jon Pareles).

go wee-wee

To urinate.