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Stiffed for the fee

Posted by Lotg on November 19, 2003

In Reply to: Stiffed for the fee posted by Ward Fredericks on November 19, 2003

: : : : When someone doesn't pay their bill, the debtor may rightly complain that they were 'stiffed' for the fee, the fare, or the bill. Does anyone know the origin of that particular expression and is it a US product or is it used elsewhere in the civilized (read English speaking) world?

: : : ::I'm just guessing, but I always associated that phrase with the quarterback in football stiff-arming anyone trying to pull him down. I've heard the expression in the U.S., but have no idea if the Brits use it as well.

: : We Aussies tend to have adopted/inherited more British terms than Americans I think (although that's obviously evolving rapidly in a different direction with TV and the internet), and 'stiffed' for the bill is only something I remember people saying after watching American (gangster type) movies.

: : But Ward, I'd have to take you to task about the "civilised" (read English speaking) world... Not sure we're entitled to that claim to fame.
: : Goddess -- we do have to have a little fun with this don't we? I wanted to see if anyone noticed. Certainly I've visited some very civil and civilized parts of the world where English was not native.

Hmmm (raised eyebrow & snicker), so you're a stirrer as well.

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