"on general principles"

[Jim Parish]

George Thompson wrote:
> My father frequently used the expression "on general principles" to
> signify that something had been done for no particular reason, but
> just for the hell of it.  He might say that he had bought something of
> no obvious use "on general principles" or that the cops had arrested
> someone "on general principles".

The phrase was common in my family as well, often shortened to a shrugged "GP".

Jim Parish
-------------------------------------------------
SIUE Web Mail