Question oabout the meaning of 'Wanna play the dozens!'
"There was an error at the hospitol, you died at birth! You're turn."
What's he talking about? Is this some kind of game?
Hackman said that in response to Mr. Mustache saying "What does this little lady see in you anyway? You must be hung like a Man o' War"
Playing the dozens is capping, bagging, roasting, or the many dozen names it's been known in history. I.E. it's the term for making crude jokes among friends. In the 1960s it was "Your mama is so ugly......:
I'm not sure how the actual phrase came about, but it's been around since the 1950s, at least (My dad used to say it all the time...something from his childhood).
Just my $.02
Thanks.
shareOK, now I have a question about the meaning of another expression. In the scene in the park, when Joe and Bobby are looking at the phony passports, Bobby asks: "Why don't you take advantage of it, Joe?" and Joe answers: "Naw, got to get someone to throw me in the briar patch."
(1) Take advantage of what? (2) What's the allusion to the Br'er Rabbit children's story?
1. Probably to use the passport to leave the country. Remember, at the beginning of the film, during the jewel heist, Hackman's character gets photographed by the security camera, and the others occasionally throw it in his face.
2. Brer Rabbit kept telling Brer Fox (?) NOT to throw him in the briar patch in the story...even though that was exactly where he wanted to go. Hackman is alluding to wanting to do something, but wants to pretend he doesn't really want to do it. of course, this was the gold heist...he kept telling DeVito he wasn't going to do it, but even got forced into it.