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#111075 08/28/03 11:24 AM
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And in "working man's" jargon, you'd say "pulling a shift" or "I don't have seniority, so I have to pull the graveyard shift." (for instance) [or, as Jackie pointed out , "pull a double."]

Pull an all-nighter Did a little partying back in the day, eh, Father Steve? Welcome to the club!


#111076 08/28/03 11:34 AM
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Pull an all-nighter Did a little partying back in the day, eh, Father Steve?

And how do you know that the padre didn't pull the sort of all-nighter mentioned at Luke 6:12?


#111077 08/28/03 11:37 AM
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No, pull an all-nighter means to study, or, possibly, work all night when normally you don't.

Edit: or the kind in Luke 6:12.

#111078 08/28/03 02:32 PM
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and let's not forget Pulled Over-- which is US idiom for being stopped by a cop--
as in I got pulled over by a cop for not having my seat belt fastened

and a push me/pull me -- a door that is either pushed or pulled open (think of the Far Side cartoon, with the kid pulling on a door labeled Push Here)


#111079 08/28/03 09:15 PM
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"I pulled out of that parking spot and pulled into the one closer to the entrance."

It seems to be something one *does with an auto.


#111080 08/28/03 09:42 PM
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"Pulling a fast one" refers to the mugger's practice of pulling the wig ["the wool"] over the eyes of the 'mark'...

Interesting - got any citation on that?


#111081 08/28/03 10:18 PM
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got any citation on that?

Nope, not chapter and verse anyway.

I think it was in a book by Willard Espy who published a collection of phrases which we still use today without understanding the original context.

One of those phrases was "pulling the wool over a person's eyes", hence, "pulling a fast one".

It seemed plausible to me because a street thief needs to work fast if he wants to stay in business.

But I'm open to other interpretations, mav.


#111082 08/28/03 11:26 PM
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Someone who has a lot of pull may not have to pull his own weight. You can also pull something out of thin air.


#111083 08/29/03 03:23 AM
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No, pull an all-nighter means to study, or, possibly, work all night when normally you don't.

Ah, but it also means to party till dawn, either or. We used to close down the Wildwoods at 3 am, then head up to a club near Atlantic City called the Dunes which was open all night, and whose slogan was "The Dunes 'til Dawn!" And we used to say, "We gotta stop pulling these all-nighters or we're going to burn ourselves out." But an "all-nighter" could be just a casual house party, too...sitting around playing music or listening to tunes, and (well, you get the picture ...some folks called it the "beer and pizza for breakfast" scene...but I never went in for the beer 'n' pizza in the morning thing, eggs and coffee always).




#111084 08/29/03 05:40 AM
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and coffee

Variation on a theme, eh, Juan?


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