What exactlty does this mean? I remember Arthur Daly ( = Cockney grifter in "Minder") (BBC TV) using it..instinctively it seems to mean "I'm just alerting you to something". So I suppose it must be related to dance cards rather than eg. a golf or playing-card score-card. What say you all?

jj

edit: should have been "just marking your card"

What say you all?

I say, "Huh?"

I say I'm delighted to see a post from you again, my Dear! I'd been wondering where you were; hope you had a good winter.

I think this phrase might have different significance depending on context. Here are some Google snippets for it:
Marking your Bingo Cards; you’ll indicate your choices by marking an X in the box next to the names of the candidates you want to vote for. A punch-card ballot; again marking the card if necessary while going up to the next fairway.

The first thing it makes me think of is that this particular mark (whatever it is) is but one of the many that will be required before a final goal can be achieved, such as a card that, when it proves that you got 10 haircuts at a place, will earn you a free haircut.

Yes, I'd say the colloquial meaning is definitely "to let you know the score" - and as such I would expect it to derive from a sports context, but have no citation.

>>>What exactlty does this mean? I remember Arthur Daly ( = Cockney grifter in "Minder") (BBC TV) using it..


Hmm, it would be nice if you could remember in what context it was said johnjohn. To me, marking your card means cheating.

Having your "card marked", in east end slang, means being warned. "Consider your card well marked, my son. Give me any more aggro and the boys'll be round to see to your knees."