Remember hearing this phrase alot growing up, have played pool done I was a young thing and use to hang out at the pool hall with several of my friends… always heard the definition of this phrase as being when a pool shark would tempt a novice with a game of pool… first game the shark would purposely miss shots to make the novice player think he was better. The next game they would play shark would make a few mistakes then ask the novice if he wanted to play for money? The novice thinking I can beat this dude says ok, shark starts playing real pool and wins the bet… hence, Dirty Pool
Taylor:
July 14th, 2019 at 4:42 pm
Great entry! Very illuminating.
As a side note, it took me a moment to understand the why the Germans approaching the trenches in kilts was unfair. Before I realized they were donning the uniform of the Scots/Brits, my mind went to the distracting effect of looking up from a trench to see a the enemy standing above you with his kilt (and naught else underneath) waving in the breeze.
I suppose that’s not the same usage of “dirty,” though.
Wendy:
April 11th, 2020 at 9:57 am
I don’t know you, and I’m not in your 20-some-years-ago brain, but I’ll bet the word grinch also played into your thinking stinch was a word. Stingy + grinch with a touch of stint maybe.
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Candy Hart:
February 13th, 2016 at 10:21 am
Remember hearing this phrase alot growing up, have played pool done I was a young thing and use to hang out at the pool hall with several of my friends… always heard the definition of this phrase as being when a pool shark would tempt a novice with a game of pool… first game the shark would purposely miss shots to make the novice player think he was better. The next game they would play shark would make a few mistakes then ask the novice if he wanted to play for money? The novice thinking I can beat this dude says ok, shark starts playing real pool and wins the bet… hence, Dirty Pool
Taylor:
July 14th, 2019 at 4:42 pm
Great entry! Very illuminating.
As a side note, it took me a moment to understand the why the Germans approaching the trenches in kilts was unfair. Before I realized they were donning the uniform of the Scots/Brits, my mind went to the distracting effect of looking up from a trench to see a the enemy standing above you with his kilt (and naught else underneath) waving in the breeze.
I suppose that’s not the same usage of “dirty,” though.
Wendy:
April 11th, 2020 at 9:57 am
I don’t know you, and I’m not in your 20-some-years-ago brain, but I’ll bet the word grinch also played into your thinking stinch was a word. Stingy + grinch with a touch of stint maybe.