[Ads-l] "a solid" vs. "some solid"

[ADSGarson O'Toole]

Here is a relatively recent example with "some", i.e., "do him some solid".

Forum Name: Go Deep at FinHeaven.com
Poster: Peter North (Seasoned Veteran)
Date: January 16, 2014

http://finheaven.com/threads/alonzo-highsmith-not-a-consideration-for-gm-position.308669/

[Begin slightly reformatted message]
Mike13 said
>Former Packers staff don't poach from Green Bay. Its an unwritten rule they have.

Then why go through the charade of interviewing Ben McAdoo for the OC
position? Just to do him some solid and make him look more appealing
for the team that did hire him? I doubt it.
[End message]

Green's Dictionary of Slang (free version without citations) has a
pertinent entry. Sense 4 below and the phrase sense seem to fit
Wilson's usage, but it is unclear whether the citations use "a solid",
"the solid", or "some solid". The claim of a citation in the 1920s is
intriguing.

Jon Lighter's private files might have information. The public volumes
did not reach the letter "S" (as list members know).

https://greensdictofslang.com/entry/dqk6aai

[Begin entry]
solid n.
[someone or something that has substance, thus dependable, trustworthy]

1. [late 18C] constr. with the, a guinea.
2. [20C+] (UK tramp) the road.
3. [1920s] (US Und.) a trustworthy fellow criminal or prison inmate.
4. [1950s+] (US black) a favour.

In phrases
do (someone) a/the solid (v.)
[1920s+] (US) to perform a great favour.
[End entry]

Garson


On Tue, Feb 6, 2018 at 2:06 PM, MULLINS, WILLIAM D (Bill) CIV USARMY
RDECOM AMRDEC (US) <william.d.mullins18.civ at mail.mil> wrote:
> Dialog from the Pixar film _The Incredibles_ (2004), Holly Hunter's character speaking:
>
> "Snug, I'm calling in a solid you owe me."
>
>
>> ----
>>
>> Around the time that the expression, _do me a solid_ "do me a favor" was coming into use, I noted that, in StL, back in the '40's and '50's,
>> the phrase was "do me _some_ solid," with its negative being, "I can't do you no solid."
>>
>> Occasionally, I Google this kind of stuff to see whether it may have appeared in print since the last time that I looked. So...
>>
>> Can you do Gymnastics with Scoliosis? | Yahoo Answers
>> https://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20100610000643AAzb6FA
>> Jun 10, 2010 - "i became entreated [interested?] to do calisthenics and putting [pulling?] workouts in my freshman and sophomore 365 days
>> [years?] in extreme [?] college to decrease my scoliosis. That advice would do you properly[?]. i'd use the pull up bars to hold from, and
>> stretch my back. It appeared to _do me some solid_."
>>
>> It's unclear that this means _do me some solid_ in the relevant sense - "do me some good, help me out" - considering the lack of clarity of
>> what precedes it. But, "until the real thing comes along," as the song says...
>> --
>> -Wilson
>
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------
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