Know Your English (April 2001)

Know your English

What is the meaning of ``in the wee hours''?

``Wee hours'' is something used in informal contexts to mean ``early hours''. Here are a few examples.
The campers were woken up in the wee hours of the morning.
He went to bed in the wee hours of the morning.
There was somebody knocking on my door at the wee hours of the morning.
The word ``wee'' can also be used to mean ``little''.
We were a wee bit early for the function.
The shirt was a wee bit small for Promod.
Rakesh was a wee bit disappointed when he was told that he hadn't got the job.


Source:
The Hindu daily, Tuesday, April 03, 2001