"Hump Day" is North American slang for Wednesday, the midpoint of the workweek. The phrase went from office small talk to internet catchphrase in 2013 when Geico's TV commercial featured a camel named Caleb strolling through a cubicle farm asking, "Guess what day it is?" and spawned years of YouTube parodies and Wednesday-morning posts.
Origin
The slang is North American in origin[4]. Web usage predates the viral 2013 moment: on December 6th, 2009, YouTuber Manic Turtle uploaded a short office video titled "Cubing Out: Hump Day" that later collected more than 10,000 views[3].
The catchphrase turned into a full-blown internet moment on April 30th, 2013, when Geico aired a 30-second TV spot titled "Hump Day." In the ad, a camel named Caleb wanders through a cubicle farm shouting "Guess what day it is? Guess what day it is!" at annoyed coworkers until one finally answers back, "Hump day!" A June 4th, 2013 reupload of the ad by SubscribeFor NewsAlerts drew over 6.8 million views on YouTube[2].
- Platform: TV commercial (Geico) / YouTube (viral spread)
- Creator: Geico (2013 'Hump Day' commercial featuring Caleb the camel)
- Date: 2013
Overview
Hump Day treats Wednesday as the peak of a five-day workweek, so once you clear it, the slide down to the weekend feels shorter[7]. Camels became the visual shorthand for the phrase thanks to their humps, which is why Geico's 2013 spot with Caleb the camel turned into the definitive Hump Day image[2]. Online, the phrase usually shows up in office group chats, radio bits, and social posts on Wednesday mornings, often paired with a camel GIF or a "Guess what day it is?" callback[4].
The idea of a midweek breather is not new. Sweden and other Nordic countries observe "lillördag," or "little Saturday," a Wednesday tradition where bars stay open later and colleagues meet for dinners and drinks to push through to Friday[1].
How It Spread
The Geico ad went viral on YouTube through the summer of 2013 and hit millions of views before the network pulled the original upload[2]. Tumblr users had already been running the phrase as a double-entendre joke months earlier, including a February 20th, 2013 post by accomicsguy-blog that picked up more than 300 notes[4].
Parody uploads followed almost immediately. YouTuber David Daikeler posted a remake on August 6th, 2013 that pulled in around 57,000 views[5], and more Hump Day videos kept surfacing in the years after, including one from Cherise Addison on March 12th, 2017 that reached roughly 73,000 views[6].
The underlying midweek-celebration idea has real-world roots too. Swedish workers still meet up on Wednesday nights for lillördag drinks and dinners, a tradition that stretches back to when household staff had Wednesdays off instead of Saturdays[1].
How to Use
Typical Hump Day posts land on Wednesday mornings, usually a camel photo or GIF, or the Geico "Guess what day it is?" audio clip, paired with a caption about surviving the midweek slog[2]. Office group chats, radio hosts, and teachers commonly use the phrase as a Wednesday greeting or a lead-in to weekend plans[7].
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Hump Day?
Hump Day is a North American slang term for Wednesday, the middle day of the workweek, framed as the "hump" you climb before the weekend starts[7].
Where did Hump Day come from?
The phrase became an internet catchphrase in 2013 when Geico aired a TV commercial featuring a camel named Caleb walking through an office asking coworkers to guess what day it was[2].
What does Hump Day mean?
It refers to Wednesday as the peak of a five-day workweek. Camels became the visual shorthand for the phrase because of their literal humps, which is what Geico's 2013 ad played on[2].
How do you use Hump Day?
People post camel photos, GIFs, or the Geico "Guess what day it is?" audio clip on Wednesday mornings to mark the midweek point[2].
Is Hump Day still popular?
The Geico ad and its catchphrase still get shared as Wednesday shorthand online, though the peak viral moment was in 2013 and the years right after[5].
