Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba glaring while flying over the yellow brick road in Wicked For Good© Universal Pictures / Courtesy Everett Collection
By
Kevin Erdmann
Published 1 hour ago
Since 2019, Kevin Erdmann has been one of Screen Rant's Senior Staff Writers, covering all kinds of Superhero and Star Wars media with Easter egg breakdowns, theory pieces, breaking news, and more. A huge Star Wars & MCU fan, Kevin also loves Batman (because he's Batman), but could talk for hours about why Nightwing is DC's greatest hero.
With 8 years of total experience covering entertainment and pop culture, Kevin has gotten the chance to interview top creatives and talent, and has also attended major media events like Disney's D23 convention.
Majoring in Cinema Studies with a minor in Comics and Cartoon Studies from the UofO, Kevin lives in Oregon with his wonderful wife, adorable dog, and sinister cat who is no doubt currently plotting his demise.
Sign in to your ScreenRant account
Summary
Generate a summary of this story
follow
Follow
followed
Followed
Like
Like
Thread
Log in
Here is a fact-based summary of the story contents:
Try something different:
Show me the facts
Explain it like I’m 5
Give me a lighthearted recap
Warning! This post contains SPOILERS for Wicked: For GoodDespite being one of many unique Ozian phrases in Wicked: For Good, special attention has certainly been paid to "Clock-Tick". Since the sequel's debut, social media has latched onto the term, a phrase some movie-goers feel was repeated in the movie to a distracting degree.
The "Clock-Tick" conversation has taken off in part because 2024's Wicked: Part One hardly used the phrase, making its presence in For Good feel more pronounced. While that's certainly true, there has since been a growing perspective online that Wicked: For Good features a “clock-tick” moment in nearly every other scene (so we decided to keep track).
Wicked: For Good Uses The Phrase "Clock-Tick" More Than Once
Fiyero and Glinda in Wicked: For Good
Online posts have suggested that Wicked: For Good drops “clock-tick” non-stop. Memes and various reaction videos have argued that the phrase appears dozens of times, spoken every few minutes, a running joke and commentary across platforms like TikTok and X.
Admittedly, the sequel’s sudden comfort with this specific piece of Ozian vocabulary does make "Clock-Tick" stand out more than others, and it is heard more than once from different characters throughout the movie.
However, it does seem as though "clock-tick" simply became more audibly noticeable due to its far more limited use in Wicked: Part One (having only been heard once at the very beginning from Dulcibear during Elphaba and Nessa's childhood).
How Many Times Wicked: For Good Uses "Clock-Tick" (And Where)
Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo) and Glinda (Ariana Grande-Butera) looking at each other in Wicked: For Good
Here's every time the phrase "clock-tick" is heard by the end of 2025's Wicked: For Good:
- During the Yellow Brick Road opening ceremony, Fiyero and Glinda head off-stage to speak in private, with Glinda telling the crowd that they'd only be "a clock-tick". This is where Fiyero voices his frustrations about the lies being told about Elphaba, and his desire to find her.
- When Boq questions whether Nessa will enact new laws restricting animals' rights in Munchkinland, she tells Avaric to give them a "clock-tick" to be alone. Avaric was a fellow student at Shiz University in Wicked: Part One, who now looks to have become a member of Nessa's staff after she became Munchkinland's new governor following the death of her and Elphaba's father.
- Preparing for her wedding to Fiyero, Glinda is aided by two white bats before telling them to give her a "clock-tick" before she meets with Elphaba on the balcony.
- Following Nessa's death via Dorothy Gale's flying house, Glinda accuses Elphaba during their Munchkinland confrontation of stealing Fiyero, prompting Elphaba to tell Glinda: "Now you just wait a clock-tick."
Despite the large online commentary, the actual number of “clock-tick” uses in Wicked: For Good is surprisingly small, as the phrase appears only four times throughout the entire movie. As a result, it seems as though the perception of overuse simply comes from its repetition, combined with the fact that it wasn't nearly as prevalent in Wicked: Part One.
Nevertheless, the phrase’s relatively limited presence didn’t stop the Wicked fandom from magnifying it into a running gag online, especially once clips and edits spread across social media.
Why The People Of Oz Use "Clock-Tick" (What It's Referencing)
A closeup shows the dragon on top of The Clock of the Time Dragon from Wicked by Gregory Maguire
In the land of Oz, “clock-tick” exists to give the world of Wicked its own sense of unique culture. It’s simply an alternate way for Ozians to say “just a second" or "give us a moment" in conversation, and it's arguably a more natural and organic fit next to terms like “thrillified”, "obsessulated", or "rejoicify".
Additionally, "clock-tick" holds a deeper connection to the lore of the greater Wicked franchise. “Clock-tick” serves as a nod to the Time Dragon, a major element in Gregory Maguire’s original Wicked novels. The Time Dragon in the Wicked books is a mechanical oracle tied closely to Elphaba’s fate, framing her life as a kind of destined narrative.
While the movies only hint at the Time Dragon’s importance with a few references, the books position the Time Dragon as a key mythic element.
In the original Broadway musical, the Time Dragon Clock physically frames the show above. The Time Dragon is a large mechanical recreation above the proscenium (the part of the stage in front of the curtain), symbolically framing Elphaba’s entire story and suggesting, though its role is far more limited than in the books.
The additional clock iconography and the dragon itself surrounding the stage are meant to convey that the entire stage show is an in-universe puppet show, just like the traveling Time Dragon show in the books.
The term also reinforces the sense that Oz runs on rules apart from the real world. By giving the characters of Wicked their own slang, the films maintain a whimsical tone and emphasize Oz’s cultural identity. “Clock-tick” may sound unusual at first, but that uniqueness is part of the overall worldbuilding charm, just like all the other unique word-uses ("Scandalacious").
Wicked: For Good is now playing in theaters.
15
9.0/10
8/10
Wicked: For Good
10 stars 9 stars 8 stars 7 stars 6 stars 5 stars 4 stars 3 stars 2 stars 1 star Like Follow Followed PG Drama Fantasy Romance Release Date November 21, 2025 Runtime 137 Minutes Director Jon M. Chu Writers Winnie Holzman, Dana Fox, Gregory Maguire Producers Marc Platt, David Stone
11 Images
Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo) with a thoughtful frown in Wicked: For Good
Glinda (Ariana Grande) smiling in Wicked: For Good
Glinda (Ariana Grande) putting on her crown in Wicked: For Good
Fiyero (Jonathan Bailey) playing in a marching band in Wicked: For Good
Glinda (Ariana Grande) walking down the aisle surrounded by yellow butterflies in Wicked: For Good
Fiyero (Jonathan Bailey) and Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo) staring into each other’s eyes up close in Wicked: For Good
Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo) flying on her broom in Wicked: For Good
Wicked For Good Teaser Thumbnail
Glinda (Ariana Grande) clutching a book to her chest in Wicked: For Good
Glinda (Ariana Grande) floating inside a shimmering bubble in Wicked: For Good
Glinda (Ariana Grande) looking thoughtful in Wicked: For GoodClose
Cast
See All-
Cynthia Erivo
Elphaba
-
Ariana Grande
Glinda
Expand
Collapse
-
Movies
-
Wicked: For Good
We want to hear from you! Share your opinions in the thread below and remember to keep it respectful.
Be the first to post Images Attachment(s) Please respect our community guidelines. No links, inappropriate language, or spam.Your comment has not been saved
Send confirmation emailThis thread is open for discussion.
Be the first to post your thoughts.
- Terms
- Privacy
- Feedback
9 hours ago
Amazon's Upcoming Fantasy Adaptation Will Be The Ultimate Dragon Show
3 hours ago
Daniel Craig Movies On Netflix To Watch Before Wake Up Dead Man, Ranked
6 hours ago
How Old The Stranger Things Cast & Characters Are In Season 5
3 hours ago
Star Wars Finally Admits It Failed Boba Fett
Trending Now
Why There's No Boston Blue (Nov 28) & When Episode 7 Releases
Pedro Pascal's Reed Richards Is As Smart As DC's New Batman
The Best Episode For Each Spirit In Ghosts
.png?width=1200&auto=webp&trim=0%2C0%2C0%2C0)
