it's more of a five o'clock shadow situation

[polaris]

Hello !

May you explain to me what is the meaning of this expression ?

Here is the dialog :

Russell : Book me a wax at Burke Williams, ask for Janette, will you ?

Maggie : You wax ?

R : Well actually it's more of a five o'clock shadow situation if you must know.

M : Oh Jesus.

Does it mean Russell is having a secret relationship with the woman called Janette and that he wants to stay in the shadow ?

[MrPedantic]

Hello Polaris

If you're a male, and have dark facial hair which grows quickly, you're likely to get a "five o'clock shadow". This means you look as if you need a shave by 5o/c in the evening.

The other part you need to know here is the verb "to wax". It means "to remove unwanted hair from the face or body by means of applying strips of hot wax, etc."

It's a little difficult to guess the meaning of your dialogue out of context, but it suggests:

Russell: Book me a hair-removal session at Burke Williams. Ask them to book Janette as my hair-removal operative.

Maggie (incredulous, since it's more usual for women to "wax"): You remove unwanted hair by means of a wax treatment?

R: It's not a full wax. The hair has begun to grow back.

M: Oh Jesus.

It isn't clear from the dialogue whether Russell has unwanted hair on his face or body; but I would suspect the latter.

MrP

[polaris]

Thank you very much for your time, mr. Pedantic. I appreciate all these explanations. It's all clear for me.

And yes, Russell has hair on his body that he want to wax.

[MrPedantic]

You're welcome, Polaris!

MrP

PS: Russell is a braver man than I am.