When stuff you are eating falls on the floor, you have two options. You can pick it up and eat it, or you can throw it out. The five second rule is used when what ever falls is tasty, but you dont want to gross out your friends by eating something dirty. The five second rule, when imposed (usually along with a quick rinse or blow off) makes what ever you still want to eat socially acceptable to eat and void of all dirtyness. The 5 second rule may be be changed to the 10 second rule, the 15 second rul, or the "i have no clue how long its been there" rule.
guy one: dude, you just dropped your good tasting stuff
guy two: aww crap, butter move fast to make the five second rule. This stuff sure isnt good enough for a ten-er or a 15-er.
by Taynton July 10, 2004
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If food drops on the ground, you're still allowed to eat it if it's only been on the ground for 5 seconds or less.
Person 1: Oh shit I dropped my pizza slice
Person 2: 5 second rule!
Person 1: *eats pizza*
by joveblue July 10, 2004
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When you drop a food on the ground, you have 5 seconds to pick it up before the germs come on it. After you do this, you blow or wipe off the food and eat it. This doesn't apply to sticky foods and dirty floors.
*drops food*
*Frantically picks it up*
"5 SECOND RULE"
*Blows and eats*
by Kweentoos June 13, 2023
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how long food can touch the ground before germs get to it
i wasnt going to eat this M&M but i just dropped it, 5 second rule!
by zoey July 11, 2004
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an excuse to eat food off the floor.
Eric: *walking along, sees a piece of candy on the ground* NOM

Jason: Dude...

Eric: 5 SECOND RULE
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The window of opportunity for picking up food you dropped on the ground, dusting it off and eating it.
Person 1 - Drops sandwich
Person 2: "It's still good... 5 second rule!"
by Kim July 11, 2004
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When one accidently drops food, not held in a container or wrapper, on the ground. The rule states that if you pick it up within 5 seconds, it won't be contaminated. There is also a '10 second rule' variation. Unfortunately, both rules are urban legends -- The speed with which you can pick the food article back up has no bearing on whether it may receive germs.
Person A: "Crap, dropped a cookie."
Person B: "5 second rule!!"
Person A scrambles to pick up food article
by Ryan Thompson July 10, 2004
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