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Could you help me get a job? I don't know, something straight. A place to clock in and out of if I wanted.

Any synonyms for "straight" in this context? And how to paraphrase this sentence: "A place to clock in and out of"?

The speaker is a former prisoner.

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  • Do you know what clocking in means? You haven't told us the context of the question, but I'm guessing that the speaker wants a simple job that doesn't require too much thought.
    – Kate Bunting
    Commented Jul 22, 2022 at 14:07
  • "Somewhere you can clock in and out of" perhaps means "with flexible working hours."
    – Weather Vane
    Commented Jul 22, 2022 at 14:12

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Straight here means legitimate and normal. This phrase is usually used to contrast a job with a job that is not a regular, 9 to 5 professional job with a regular paycheck. For example,

Some, because of a history of drug addiction or criminal felonies, are unable to obtain a straight job.

...you'll need $50,000 in savings to start your life as a full-time professional poker player. I suggest to anyone considering this that you keep your straight job...

At many jobs, when you arrive, you clock in (you record the time that you arrive), and when you leave, you clock out (record the time that you leave), so that you can be paid for the hours that you work.

The implication is that speaker is asking for help getting a job that is not illegal, or "off the books", or has irregular hours.

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