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Previous Thread Next Thread Print Thread Paying someone out #61937 03/22/2002 12:30 AM Joined: Mar 2001 Posts: 163 Rouspeteur member Rouspeteur member Joined: Mar 2001 Posts: 163 This expression appears in the Thomas the Tank Engine books and seems to mean "getting even" or "getting back at someone". Can anyone enlighten me as to the origins of this phrase? Copy Link to Clipboard Share Post on Facebook Share Post on Twitter Re: Paying someone out #61938 03/22/2002 1:17 AM Joined: Jan 2002 Posts: 477 Sydney, Australia hev addict hev addict Joined: Jan 2002 Posts: 477 Sydney, Australia Hello Rouspeteur! In Oz speak, paying out on someone, or paying someone out, means teasing them, in a fun, playful way. For example: "I've been paying out on my boss about the beautiful shade of pink he's wearing today." It's all said in joking tones. I'm not up on the context of Thomas the Tank Engine though. Don't know about origins either... sorry! Hev Copy Link to Clipboard Share Post on Facebook Share Post on Twitter Moderated by  Jackie  Hop To General Topics ------  Information and announcements  Q&A about words  Wordplay and fun  Words and languages in schools  Miscellany  Weekly Themes  Looking for (writers, speakers,... (Old) Weekly themes. (have been... ------  Words from medicine  Beheading words  Meta-words  Words from classical mythology  Animal Safari  Words with unusual etymologies  Eponyms or words derived from p...  Loanwords from German  English as a global language Print Thread Switch to Threaded Mode Show Likes Link Copied to Clipboard View Profile Private Message Follow User Forum Posts Like Summary View Profile Private Message Follow User Forum Posts Like Summary

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