Dave's expressions - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: goldcoin
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: August 05, 2016, 02:24:29 pm
content: "We're in like Flynn"- who is this notorious Flynn and where did he famously get in ?"Winner, winner ! Chicken dinner ! "- is a chicken dinner a big thing in Australia ?

author: Sal Ammoniac
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 05, 2016, 02:31:20 pm
content: The first refers to Errol Flynn, an actor in the 1930's, and his notorious womanizing. What he "got in" is left up to your imagination.

author: rdl
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 05, 2016, 02:37:25 pm
content: Errol Flynn was said to have a way with the ladies, if that helps. Eventually it got him into a bit of trouble.The chicken dinner thing is apparently a reference to "free" meals you could win from Las Vegas casinos. I had never heard this one before Dave said it.

author: FuzzyOnion
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: August 05, 2016, 04:15:09 pm
content: That's interesting. Being a child of the 60s, I had always heard the expression as "in like Flynt" referring to Derek Flynt of the spy spoof movies of that time. Interesting how these things are heard and interpreted over time.I don't know about the Vegas thing and the chicken dinner. I just remember hearing here in the south since I was a little kid. It was usually heard during some church-sponsored event where there were games that folks participated in. The winners usually got a free meal at the next "chicken pie supper" that the church had. So who knows?Flynn huh? Well, I'll store that little chestnut for later.

author: Brumby
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: August 05, 2016, 04:18:26 pm
content: Quote from: goldcoin on August 05, 2016, 02:24:29 pmNo. Chicken dinner's in Australia did not give rise to this expression ... but it has made its way to our shore courtesy of Hollywood. I daresay it has caught on here because its structure fits in with rhyming slang, something which enjoys a presence in the Australian vocabulary.From the Urban Dictionary:Winner Winner Chicken DinnerThe legend tells that years ago every casino in Las Vegas had a three-piece chicken dinner with a potato and a veggie for $1.79. A standard bet back then was $2, hence when you won a bet you had enough for a chicken dinner!

author: free_electron
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 05, 2016, 05:21:50 pm
content: whats that bobby desla ?

author: Kilrah
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: August 05, 2016, 06:30:01 pm
content: Bobby Dazzler, i.e. something fancy.

author: HwAoRrDk
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 05, 2016, 06:30:36 pm
content: It's actually 'Bobby Dazzler'. A colloquial term meaning a thing or a person that is very special, remarkable or excellent.I'm not sure whether it's a particularly widespread term in Australia, but the origin of the expression is Northern England.Edit:it seems there was aTV comedy showof the name in Australia in the late 1970's, so maybe that's where Dave picked it up. But I'm pretty sure the term has been in use in the UK for far before that period.

author: boffin
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: August 05, 2016, 06:38:58 pm
content: Quote from: Brumby on August 05, 2016, 04:18:26 pmSadly no more Vegas chicken dinners for $1.79, but the Ellis Island casino on Koval Lane has a pretty good (off the menu) steak dinner for $8.99http://ellisislandcasino.com/dining/cafe/

author: Sbampato12
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: August 05, 2016, 06:48:47 pm
content: I watched a movie some time ago, the first time I heard the Winner Winner Chicken Dinner."21" (2008), was the movie...

author: boffin
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: August 05, 2016, 07:39:35 pm
content: Quote from: Sbampato12 on August 05, 2016, 06:48:47 pm<cringe> The book is much much much better than the movie.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bringing_Down_the_House_(book)

author: Sbampato12
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: August 05, 2016, 07:49:44 pm
content: Quote from: boffin on August 05, 2016, 07:39:35 pmI didn't know there was a book. Funny, the book title is much more close to the brazilian portuguese translation (of movie title) "Quebrando a banca" (something like Breaking down the House, more to Breaking down the table, but this could be slangs thing).

author: bitwelder
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 05, 2016, 07:51:47 pm
content: Quote from: Sal Ammoniac on August 05, 2016, 02:31:20 pmIn fact a few times (but not lately) I heard Dave saying it like "We're in like Flynn. <pause> Errol, that is..."

author: techie1234
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: August 06, 2016, 01:48:54 am
content: What's this "take a swizz" at something all about?

author: Halcyon
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: August 06, 2016, 02:07:24 am
content: This should clear up any confusion about Australian rhyming slang (it really is quite accurate):

author: DTJ
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 06, 2016, 02:22:07 am
content: Quote from: techie1234 on August 06, 2016, 01:48:54 amIt's take a Squiz.I don't know the origins, it just means to take a gander at something.Edit: gander means look.

author: Halcyon
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: August 06, 2016, 02:31:15 am
content: Quote from: DTJ on August 06, 2016, 02:22:07 am'Squiz' according to Oxford: "Early 20th century: probably a blend of quiz and squint."