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Anyone know the origin of the phrase "pulling a fast one"?
And how many other pull phrases are you aware of?
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Is this related to Faldage's "pull a (insert person's name)"? Why is it bad, if you can say? There is 'pulling my leg' and 'pull a double' (hi, WO'N).
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yes, related in the sense that it stems from the same thread on another board, but triggering in a different direction so I didn't want to mudificate his waters!
One meaning of "pull" in the UK is about 'sexual conquest' - it gives er, rise to phrases like "I think I've pulled there" and "going on the pull". But it struck me there's a whole nother nest of pull phrases too.
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Oh, dear--that's what I was afraid of! Thanks, though. I'm glad you didn't try to pull the wool over my eyes.
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journeyman
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I'm glad you didn't try to pull the wool over my eyes.
Brilliant deduction, Jackie.
"Pulling a fast one" refers to the mugger's practice of pulling the wig ["the wool"] over the eyes of the 'mark' whilst the mark is relieved of his valuables.
The mugger disappears into the crowd leaving the 'mark', like a fish out of water, to re-pate-riate his dignity.
[Little wonder the wig fell out of favor.]
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And then there is just plain "having pull" and also "pull it off" which has nothing to do with Lorena Bobbit
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stranger
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as for the origin, i wonder if it's something to do with a slight of hand?
as for others, how about:
pulling your leg
pulling the wool over one's eyes
and (mother to child or childish spouse) 'don't even THINK you're going to pull that one on me'
'course, there's always 'pull my finger', but.
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Pull the other one, it's got bells on.
stemming from pull someone's leg
Bingley
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Pull your own weight
Pull one's irons out of the fire
Pulling when you oughta push
Pull over
Pull out of harbour
To pull someone's chain
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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! 
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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?
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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.
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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)
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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.
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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?
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journeyman
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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.
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Pooh-Bah
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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.
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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).
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and coffeeVariation on a theme, eh, Juan?
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Thus initiating the idea of the BYOK party
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Variation on a theme, eh, Juan?Sounds like the voice of experience, eh, ASp?
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voice of experienceWell, only insomuch as you introduced me to the term "coffee-AND"... 
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we used to say, "We gotta stop pulling these all-nighters or we're going to burn ourselves out."
Well, then, obviously you-all were using it ironically, thus backing up my (implied) assertion that pulling an all-nighter carries the connotation of something negative.
There is also: pull no punches and pull out all the stops.
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Then again there is taking a long pull off a cold beverage
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a long pull off a cold beverage Ah, yes--and some of us have had more experience with that than others!
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I'll just bet you've taken a long pull or two off a cold iced tea in your day
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Indeed! I remember one summer afternoon when I was a kid, I'd been out playing batball or kickball for a long time, and when I came in I drank five big glasses straight down.
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Can't believe y'all missed "pull up your socks" meaning to stop dogging it and get on with the work, or to pull yourself out of a funk and cheer up also in the sense of getting on with the job at hand.
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Can't believe y'all missed
Geez, wouldn't have anything to do with never having heard it, I don't suppose.
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hehe. haven't heard pull up your socks used that way, wow, though I have one son who is forever pulling up his socks! I have heard "pull yourself up by your own bootstraps", however...
formerly known as etaoin...
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"pull up your socks" meaning to stop dogging it ...
Interesting wow - only on reading this a second time did it occur to me what had been bugging me for attention. It's that I have never been aware of it in this precise format - I've always seen and heard "pull your socks up!". Is your slightly different word order what you or others around you actually use? Anyone else got any input on this?
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>Anyone else got any input on this?
Only to say that, for the first time in the herstory of herstory, I agree with you. I've never heaerd "pull up your socks" - the command has always ended with the preposition here.
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Pull your chin up!
Pull your shoulders back!
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Either word order is normal for me, mav.
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Pulling Taffy [disclaimer: Warning -- food-thread potential] An Old-Time Taffy Pull was a recipe as well as a social event! Thought you might enjoy this one, Jackie. 'Course, down here we call it "salt water taffy." http://www.recipesource.com/desserts/candy/04/rec0419.html
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Nope--I've never pulled taffy, nor made it either. Don't you think I pull enough weight as it is?
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taffy pull
NOTE: If taffy becomes too stiff to pull, reheat in a 350 degree oven 3 to 5 minutes.I know many a Taffy who may feel this is presumptuous behaviour...
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Nope--I've never pulled taffy, nor made it either. Don't you think I pull enough weight as it is?Awww...I just thought you'd enjoy the quaint nostalgic Americana of it all, as opposed to partying all night.
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I know many a Taffy who may feel this is presumptuous behaviour...Speak for your own Taffy, sir! [evil-grin e ] you knew this thread had to get around to this sort of innuendo sooner or later, didn't you?
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yb®
I am still hoping to get a definitive answer to my original question too ;)
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my original question Okay--well, see, your dad met your mom one day, and got this gleam in his eye...
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Now, Jackie, don't be talking about mav's mama like that!<EG>
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Pooh-Bah
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He hasn't got one. Reproduced by fission, like all bacteria ...
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damn! I've been excluded from this thread by my software glitch the last day or so and missed your delightful insults... hey, I tele you I don haff no steenkin fission! so, origin of pull a fast one, anybody?
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okay mav, here are three possibilities:
1) from trapshooting - PULL! [darn! that was too quick!]
b) from pulling of strings and wires, hence an illicit trick or manipulation
iii) having a quick wank
hth.
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caution: wank-related material...but linguistically relevant
>iii) having a quick wank<
Also commonly referred to as "pulling your meat."
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...on a purely word-related note, many of USns owe it to this board (I admit having learned this term at an awfully young and innocent age) that we even know what wank or wanker is. Not that any of y'all are the latter or anything, but.
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an aside: Stan Mayslack was a local (and loco) pro-wrestler, back in the 50s. When he retired, he took over a local pub and renamed it "Mayslack's Polka Lounge". It was actually more well known for the lunchtime special: "world famous GARLIC roast beef" sandwiches. Burly Stan himself would stand in the serving line, glopping the au jus delicacy onto a double paper plate. Directly over his head, a sign read, "You can't beat Mayslack's meat!" Indeed. edit: http://www.mayslacks.com/
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and of course there's 'pull your finger out', often heard being screamed across games fields by frustrated P.E. teachers at apathetic adolescents. Not sure about where this one comes from, it means get a move on, or make an effort. My partner says his dad (who worked in a mill) said it comes from people sticking their fingers in the ( can't 'member what they're called, you know, the vertical stretches of cotton) to stop the spinners and have a break in mill, when they were caught by foreman, he'd say OI, pull your finger out. Dunno if it's true though, could be rubbish, could mean pull your finger out of your arse but i think that's a recent addition to the phrase. ooh, i'm rambling now, it's late, i'm tired, and full from trying all the peanut butter recipes.
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Used this at work today and immediately thought of this thread. Pulling in a nice salary. Pulling in twelve bucks an hour. Pulling a decent wage. If it was a better sales list, I could be pulling in a lot more money than I am. etc, etc... Or, perhaps even more typically, "this job pulls it!" (or "this job pulls a big one!")[weaving in the devious theme-e]
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Pooh-Bah
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to stop the spinners and have a break in mill,
I should think that would be a quick way to lose a finger if not a whole hand.
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and then there is the 'pull my finger' routine-
(a rude bit i didn't know till i was grown up, we had lots of other rude bits, but not 'pull my finger'--one family favorite, for late in the afternoon, at summer family picnics, etc, was to get the kids to get a bucket/pot of water, and to warm it over the almost dead coals, once warm, it was poured over the hands of uncles, cousins, etc, who, having had too much to drink, were lying back on chairs sleeping off the effects--
while the sound of running water can stimulate an urge to go, warm water on your hands creates almost a reflex action!
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veteran
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No one has mentioned that 'pull' is French for 'sweater', specifically pull-over sweater, which is, I suppose, its origin. No wonder the Academie gets upset over Franglais.
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well, I checked it out and got this explanation:
Finger: To pull your finger out is to hurry, to get a move on. This is another nautical saying and comes from the times of the Men'o'War. When the cannon were loaded a small amount of powder was poured into the ignition hole near the base of the weapon. In order to keep the powder secure before firing, a crew member pushed one of their fingers into the hole. When the time came for ignition, the crewman was told to pull his finger out.
There was no evidence offered for this, personally I'm even less convinced of this than of my garbled, half rmembered mill version. I have emailed quinion and hopefully he will help, though I have never had a query investigated before.
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Pooh-Bah
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EEk
"Here, you new guy. Come and stick your finger in this cannon." No wonder sailors are superstitious!!!
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>>'pull' is French for 'sweater'
It is??
BYB I have to tell you I've never heard this before. Do you mean France French? A pull-over is un chandail. here in Québec.
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