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". -硅谷居士- ♂ (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 -最西边的岛上- ♀ (0 bytes) () 04/30/2024 postreply 09:51:40

• here in 1849 & grabbed lands from the natives as their dibs -最西边的岛上- ♀ (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

• 以后第一个回帖我就说 dibs, 不再说沙发了， -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。美语世界专用沙发。 -天边一片白云- ♀ (0 bytes) () 04/30/2024 postreply 18:38:19

• 哈哈，别的坛子不认识这个词：） -妖妖灵- ♀ (0 bytes) () 04/30/2024 postreply 19:13:47

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

• 这样好记。 -天边一片白云- ♀ (0 bytes) () 04/30/2024 postreply 18:37:11

• 哈哈，我觉得那个复数是不是可以不要：） -妖妖灵- ♀ (0 bytes) () 04/30/2024 postreply 19:13:22

• 万万不可:-))) -7grizzly- ♂ (0 bytes) () 04/30/2024 postreply 19:16:24

• 赶紧去看我的赏诗帖，去完成作业，上次你答应的：） -妖妖灵- ♀ (0 bytes) () 04/30/2024 postreply 19:24:22

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