Screw the pooch
gawker
Older than dirt
A dancer who I’ve known for awhile called me on Sunday afternoon, told me about a flat tire that she drove on, ruining the tire, being broke, etc. She said her mother was putting money in her checking account in the morning and if I’d loan her $100 she could buy a new tire and she’d put $100 in my checking account in the morning. We’ve exchanged money this way before, seamlessly and fee free. I got busy on Monday and used my debit card for several small purchases. Well, she hadn’t put the money in and I incurred an overdraft fee of $35.00 five times ($175).
When I texted her I said “You really screwed the pooch” this time.
She wrote back saying “What the hell are you accusing me of doing?”
Anyone know where that idiom came from? Does anyone still use the phrase? I’ve heard it all my life when someone makes an embarrassing mistake.
When I texted her I said “You really screwed the pooch” this time.
She wrote back saying “What the hell are you accusing me of doing?”
Anyone know where that idiom came from? Does anyone still use the phrase? I’ve heard it all my life when someone makes an embarrassing mistake.
31 comments
I feel I was smart in how I handled it, made her happy, but did not take on any debt or responsibility.
This was someone I was close to so the money I gave her in the "loan" could be seen as warranted.
Spending money, but minimizing liability.
If you had money to just give her, that would have done it. You could have then gotten her between the sheets ASAP.
If you did not have the cash, then hard. Maybe help her put the spare tire on? Could you change the tire then take the wheel to a tire shop and credit card a tire for her?
Always looking for ways which might cost money, but they do not create any liability for you.
Women do things like that sometimes with cars.
SJG
SJG
She did return the car, but she did not fill its tank. She pocketed the money, then he got a bill for more than it would have cost to refill the tank. Again, he let the girl have a means of screwing him.
Would have been better if he had had more time with the girl and been able to drive her home and all, and then been able to take care of his own affairs.
SJG
I did find a reference to pre- WW II where if a person had been broke as a result of a mistake one might say “fuck the dog (and sell the puppies). After WW II this got changed to “Screw the pooch”. Apparently it was said to Gus Grissom during initial astronaut training. Tom Wolfe picked it up and used it in his book The Right Stuff (1979)
You should have told her to call AAA and if that didnt work, then she needs to post up on the corner and get on her knees to make that money.
You're NOT friends with these women and they just view you as an ATM with their half assed falsified stories about being down on their luck.
https://www.quora.com/Where-did-the-phra…
😄
I’d expect a reply of - That costs extra! - or I’m not that freaky!
It’s even worse with dancers who are originally from other countries, Brazil, Russia, etc...
Here's an article about the origin of the phrase:
https://slate.com/human-interest/2014/01…
I've also heard that it's half the punchline to an old joke: "I was so drunk that I kicked the wife and screwed the pooch." Or something like that.
https://english.stackexchange.com/questi…