Dragaera

LoCB Comments

David Silberstein davids at kithrup.com
Thu Sep 4 18:54:55 PDT 2003

On Thu, 4 Sep 2003, Philip Hart wrote:

>
>While I'm thinking about _TLoCB_, I note that "paying the shot"
>appears again - I was a bit mystified when Teldra said this in
>_Issola_.  Is this regional or standard English I just never met? 
>

Hmm.  Google knows much - 99 hits on "paying the shot", and the first
one is:

   "Paying the shot" soon came to be a common phrase. Yes, and I knew
   it would still be passing men's lips, away down in the nineteenth
   century, yet none would suspect how and when it originated.

   http://www.literaturepage.com/read/aconnecticutyankee-249.html


I'd guess it was more common in Twain's Missouri, perhaps.  Or maybe
it's more New England idiom?

There's also 261 hits on "pay the shot" :

   http://home.t-online.de/home/toni.goeller/idiom_wm/id459.htm

   pay the shot == pay the whole bill, pay for everybody's ticket etc. 

   http://www.englishcivilwar.com/articles_jabberment.html

Seems to be claiming that it's C17th English slang, which has many
other amusing phrases.


   	To swallow a hare - to get exceedingly drunk
	In the gun - tipsy
	Jugbitten - tipsy
	Merry go down - very strong ale
	Overseen - drunk
	Pay the shot - pay the bill
	Pot walk - a drinking session
	Wamblety - overhung