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Toasted

Posted by Brian from Shawnee on February 26, 2004

In Reply to: Toasted posted by R. Berg on February 26, 2004

: : : : : I keep reading posts on some forums about a person is toast. I need meanings and derivation of 'toast'. I can only arrive that 'toast' is finished. Thanks in advance.

: : : : "Finished" is the correct meaning. Declaring a person to be toast means the person is (or, usually, will be) "cooked," done for, all over, washed up.

: : : I've seen the phrase used in contexts where the meaning seems to be that you will be going to hell (where you'll be turned into toast). SS

: : Just as well that they didn't say 'roast' - a whole new meaning to 'my boss gave me a roasting'...

: Just a guess: Could the phrase have begun in police or court jargon and referred to execution in the electric chair?

My guess is it grew out of the schoolyard/sports field taunt "you got burned!", meaning I outran or outmaneuvered you.

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