By the way,

Posted by GPP on September 05, 2003

In Reply to: Call your bluff posted by GPP on September 05, 2003

: : : I'm in fifth grade and I need to find the meaning and origin of this phrase. Can you please help me? Thanks,
: : : Sax

: : Hi Sax. The phrase "call your bluff" comes from poker, a card game.
: : Here's a definition of "bluff":
: : bluff1
: : v. bluffed, bluff·ing, bluffs
: : v. tr.
: : To mislead or deceive.
: : To impress, deter, or intimidate by a false display of confidence.
: : Games To try to mislead (opponents) in a card game by heavy betting on a poor hand or by little or no betting on a good one.
: : v. intr.
: : To engage in a false display of strength or confidence.
: : n.
: : The act or practice of bluffing.
: : One that bluffs.
: : --
: : [Probably from Dutch bluffen, from Low German.]
: : --
: : bluffa·ble adj.
: : bluffer n.
: : --
: : The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition. Copyright © 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by the Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

: : "Call" and "bluff" are specific terms in poker.

:
: Literally, in poker, to call a bluff means "To equal the bet of (the preceding bet or bettor) in a poker game" (American Heritage Dictionary).

: Thus to CALL someone's bluff means to say, in effect, I think you're just bluffing; let's see what you've got; put your money where your mouth is; put up or shut up; etc.

By the way, Sax, when you post a question to this bulletin board, you do need to enter some sort of name in the "Name" box--either your real name or a made-up one--but you DON'T need to fill in the "E-Mail" box unless you want somebody to send you an e-mail.