hand job

[James Smith]

Perhaps related to "sleight of hand"?


--- Benjamin Barrett <gogaku at IX.NETCOM.COM> wrote:
> I would take this to mean a frivolous action or
> monkeying around, not a
> con job...
>
> Benjamin Barrett
> Bringing tiramisu and mont blanc to Seattle
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: American Dialect Society
> [mailto:ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU] On Behalf
> Of Laurence Horn
> Sent: Tuesday, 07 January, 2003 17:11
> To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
> Subject: taboo attraction?
>
>
> (as opposed to taboo avoidance)
>
> On a recent NYPD blue, the head of the squad, Lt.
> Tony Rodriguez, uses
> "hand job" in the sense of 'con job'.  He's talking
> to his ex-wife, who
> is trying to get off drugs, explaining how he had to
> call in a lot of
> favors to get her into a detox center in Brooklyn.
> "So if this is
> another hand job...", he says.  To which she assures
> him that no, she's
> really serious about quitting this time.  Is this
> use of the compound
> otherwise attested?  Or were they just trying to see
> if we were paying
> attention and/or trying to earn their "viewer
> discretion" label?
>
> larry

=====
James D. SMITH                 |If history teaches anything
South SLC, UT                  |it is that we will be sued
jsmithjamessmith at yahoo.com     |whether we act quickly and decisively
                               |or slowly and cautiously.

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