The clock goes as it pleases the clerk.

The proverb imagines a clock keeping time according to a clerk’s wishes rather than running steadily. It suggests that the person responsible for timekeeping has too much say over what others must accept as the time.

Its criticism falls on the loss of a dependable standard. If a clock seems to suit its keeper’s convenience, people who rely on it may have reason to question whether they are being treated fairly.

Use it conditionally when criticizing a clock or a timekeeping decision that seems to favor the person responsible for it. The saying conveys doubt that the stated time is being applied consistently to everyone.