APAD: First Dibs

Meaning:

This is an exclamation that is used, primarily by children but also by adults,

to establish a claim on something. The first person to call out 'dibs' or 'first

dibs' has the option on the first use or the ownership of the item claimed.

 

Background:

The OED lists many meanings of the word dib, and among them

  - A game played by children (also called dibbs, or dibstones) with pebbles or

    the knucklebones of sheep; also the name of the play pieces - known since

    the late 17th century.

  - A children's word to make first claim on something - known since 1907.

 

- www.phrases.org.uk [edited]

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I remember "dibs" from "Stand By Me," the movie made from a Stephen King novel.

Four boys, Chris, Gordie, Vern, and Teddy, found the body of a local kid who was

hit by a train. They clashed with a gang of older boys who came back for the

body (they saw it first). Chris told ACE, the mob boss, and Eyeball to back off.

 

    CHRIS (trembling voice, as he steps forward): You get away, man. We found him. We got dibs.

    ACE: Oh ... I guess we better start running, Eyeball. They got dibs.

 

所有跟帖： 

• Thanks! Love that movie and the song, "Stand By Me". -矽穀居士- ♂ (340 bytes) () 04/30/2024 postreply 08:45:57

• Heard it often and never knew its name! Thanks! -7grizzly- ♂ (0 bytes) () 04/30/2024 postreply 08:54:02

• A good 1. I can't help thinking of HBC story when they came -最西邊的島上- ♀ (0 bytes) () 04/30/2024 postreply 09:51:40

• here in 1849 & grabbed lands from the natives as their dibs -最西邊的島上- ♀ (0 bytes) () 04/30/2024 postreply 09:52:11

• Indeed. How ironic! Might makes right :-( -7grizzly- ♂ (0 bytes) () 04/30/2024 postreply 09:55:53

• 以後第一個回帖我就說 dibs, 不再說沙發了， -移花接木- ♂ (0 bytes) () 04/30/2024 postreply 10:11:55

• Creative! That's what we need. :-))) -7grizzly- ♂ (0 bytes) () 04/30/2024 postreply 10:23:53

• 哈哈。美語世界專用沙發。 -天邊一片白雲- ♀ (0 bytes) () 04/30/2024 postreply 18:38:19

• 哈哈，別的壇子不認識這個詞：） -妖妖靈- ♀ (0 bytes) () 04/30/2024 postreply 19:13:47

• If no pleural， it looks very symmetric as “dib”！：） -妖妖靈- ♀ (0 bytes) () 04/30/2024 postreply 16:57:17

• 這樣好記。 -天邊一片白雲- ♀ (0 bytes) () 04/30/2024 postreply 18:37:11

• 哈哈，我覺得那個複數是不是可以不要：） -妖妖靈- ♀ (0 bytes) () 04/30/2024 postreply 19:13:22

• 萬萬不可:-))) -7grizzly- ♂ (0 bytes) () 04/30/2024 postreply 19:16:24

• 趕緊去看我的賞詩帖，去完成作業，上次你答應的：） -妖妖靈- ♀ (0 bytes) () 04/30/2024 postreply 19:24:22

• Sure. Will do after APAD:-))) -7grizzly- ♂ (0 bytes) () 04/30/2024 postreply 19:33:30