Lucked Out
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- Junior Lexiterian
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Lucked Out
I was watching an American movie the other night and one of the characters said he "lucked out" - the meaning being he got lucky. I have always heard the term "lucked out" used to mean ran out of luck. Is there a different meaning for this term in America?
Max, In my experience "lucked out" has always meant that someone has enjoyed an unanticipated positive outcome in a given situation.
In contrast, the phrase "get lucky" (or the past tense "got lucky") is most often applied to a specific situation in which there is a hoped for outcome. While I don't believe that luck has anything to do with this particular situation, there is often uncertainty on the part of the person pursuing the situation that the hoped for postive outcome will actually occur.
In some circles one must be careful to avoid the use of "got lucky" in expressing one's satisfaction with some serendipitous happening that is unrelated to the situation discussed in the above paragraph, as it may be misinterpreted and thus cause undue embarrassment.
William
In contrast, the phrase "get lucky" (or the past tense "got lucky") is most often applied to a specific situation in which there is a hoped for outcome. While I don't believe that luck has anything to do with this particular situation, there is often uncertainty on the part of the person pursuing the situation that the hoped for postive outcome will actually occur.
In some circles one must be careful to avoid the use of "got lucky" in expressing one's satisfaction with some serendipitous happening that is unrelated to the situation discussed in the above paragraph, as it may be misinterpreted and thus cause undue embarrassment.
William
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Thanks for the responses. Its interesting, at least in this part of Australia the phrase "lucked out" means the opposite of what it seems to mean in your parts of the world. I checked with some of my colleagues here to make sure I wasn't the only person who used it this way, mostly to make sure that this was not a sign of some sort of early onset of senility on my part, but they use it the same way. One of these colleagues is from the UK and he uses the phrase the same way as I do so it does not seem to be a peculiarly location specific usage.
I have no idea where the phrase originated ( I will go and check that out after this) but to me it sounds more like originally an American phrase. Its interesting that this phrase then gets picked and used in other places to mean the exact opposite.
With that in mind it still seems that the various connotations for the phrase "get lucky" have survived the trip between William's homeland and mine.
I have no idea where the phrase originated ( I will go and check that out after this) but to me it sounds more like originally an American phrase. Its interesting that this phrase then gets picked and used in other places to mean the exact opposite.
With that in mind it still seems that the various connotations for the phrase "get lucky" have survived the trip between William's homeland and mine.
From EtymOnline.com:
-Tim
Max, no reference to the meaning you indicate from your side of the globe...luck
15c. from M.Du. luc, shortening of gheluc "happiness, good fortune," of unknown origin. Related to M.H.G. g(e)lücke, Ger. Glück "fortune, good luck." Perhaps first borrowed in Eng. as a gambling term. Lucky break dates from 1938. To luck out "succeed through luck" is Amer.Eng. colloquial, first attested 1954.
-Tim
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- Great Grand Panjandrum
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From the American-Australian Slang Dictionary by Robert P. O'Shea
But hey, Australia is on the other side of the world, so it stands to reason . . .
Also, from the definitive Down Under source, the Macquarie Dictionary Book of Slang:
On an unrelated note, also from the Macquarie:
There used to be short, squat bottles that also held the standard US 12 ounce (355 ml) beer, but I haven't seen them in a long time. Their claim to fame was that they took up less space in the 'fridge because you could put them on a shorter shelf. I read recently about some Canadian brewer is using them but had problems with others taking back the empties for deposit.
No etymology, only the definition.luck out vi. To have good luck. Note that in Australia, luck out means the opposite: to have bad luck.
But hey, Australia is on the other side of the world, so it stands to reason . . .
Also, from the definitive Down Under source, the Macquarie Dictionary Book of Slang:
luck-out
verb to run out of luck; to have bad luck.
On an unrelated note, also from the Macquarie:
In the US, a long neck is any bottle of beer that has a long neck, especially a deposit bottle that may be used in a bar, as distinquised from a can of beer or a glass of draught beer.long neck
noun a 750ml bottle of beer.
(Personally, I prefer a good stout on tap. )They spent the night in the bar drinking Bud long-necks.
There used to be short, squat bottles that also held the standard US 12 ounce (355 ml) beer, but I haven't seen them in a long time. Their claim to fame was that they took up less space in the 'fridge because you could put them on a shorter shelf. I read recently about some Canadian brewer is using them but had problems with others taking back the empties for deposit.
Regards//Larry
"To preserve liberty, it is essential that the whole body of the people always possess arms, and be taught alike, especially when young, how to use them."
-- Attributed to Richard Henry Lee
"To preserve liberty, it is essential that the whole body of the people always possess arms, and be taught alike, especially when young, how to use them."
-- Attributed to Richard Henry Lee
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- Great Grand Panjandrum
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Thanks Larry,
I can stop worrying now that I have been using the term incorrectly, at least from my perspective and relax ( probably involving some of those long necks of which you speak).
We have an expression here to emphasize the lack of luck, often expressed by it's abbreviation, S. O. L.. A cleaned-up version would be "Sorta Outa Luck."
Speaking of long-necks, there's a couple of Fosters on the World Beer Passport at the local roadhouse.
"Seventy-three bottles of beer on the wall, . . . "
Regards//Larry
"To preserve liberty, it is essential that the whole body of the people always possess arms, and be taught alike, especially when young, how to use them."
-- Attributed to Richard Henry Lee
"To preserve liberty, it is essential that the whole body of the people always possess arms, and be taught alike, especially when young, how to use them."
-- Attributed to Richard Henry Lee
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- Junior Lexiterian
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- Joined: Mon Feb 21, 2005 11:28 pm
- Location: Townsville, Queensland
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- Junior Lexiterian
- Posts: 13
- Joined: Mon Feb 21, 2005 11:28 pm
- Location: Townsville, Queensland
Actually I like the beer in Belgium, every different type of beer has to be served in its own specific type of glass. It seems this got tough on some of the types of beer which came later as they were being served in bunsen burner shaped glasses. Best beer I ever had in Germany was in the Augustine Monastery in Salzburg. I think I liked it because it felt like I was getting drunk in church which had always been a dream of mine when I was young.
Should point out that my drinking of beer is incidental to the travel not the purpose of it.
Should point out that my drinking of beer is incidental to the travel not the purpose of it.
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- Great Grand Panjandrum
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Funny ideas you people on the left shore of The Pond seem to get . . .Just what sort of use in a bar did you have in mind, Larry ?......
In the US, a long neck is any bottle of beer that has a long neck, especially a deposit bottle that may be used in a bar, ...
Henri
By way of review:
Not the "sort of use in a bar" but rather the type of deposit:In the US, a long neck is any bottle of beer that has a long neck, especially a deposit bottle that may be used in a bar, as distinquised from a can of beer or a glass of draught beer.
It's harder to find deposit bottles (i. e., returnable bottles on which a refundable deposit has been paid) in most liquor stores or beer outlets these days. Some states do have a deposit included in the retail price, the theory being that people will return them for the money, and those bottles or cans that are tossed away will be picked up and returned for the deposit by others looking for a small but quick sum of cash. But in general, cans and bottles are recycled in many communities, but only because it makes the landfills fill up less quickly.Noun . . . 4. A sum of money given as security for an item acquired for temporary use. . . .
Back in 1972-73, we used to get Nasty Narrie (Narragansett) Porter in deposit bottles and fill the bottom of the 'fridge, leaving the box on the floor for the empties. These days merchants don't have the room or the staff to fool with accepting empties and paying out the deposit.
Regards//Larry
"To preserve liberty, it is essential that the whole body of the people always possess arms, and be taught alike, especially when young, how to use them."
-- Attributed to Richard Henry Lee
"To preserve liberty, it is essential that the whole body of the people always possess arms, and be taught alike, especially when young, how to use them."
-- Attributed to Richard Henry Lee
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