MyWiki:Reference desk/Archives/Language/2009 March 28

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March 28

Revolver in a person's sleeve

In Western and crime stories, persons sometimes have small revolvers hidden in their sleeves. Are there English sayings and idioms related with this situation? --KnightMove (talk) 04:16, 28 March 2009 (UTC)

Nothing up my sleeve! —Tamfang (talk) 10:04, 28 March 2009 (UTC)

Just to be clear, that expression is probably referring to playing cards, not revolvers. I think of it being used by a sleight of hand magician to demonstrate to an audience that the card he's going to make appear isn't simply going to slide out his coat sleeve. Matt Deres (talk) 18:19, 30 March 2009 (UTC)

How do you play revolvers? ;-) Dismas|^(talk) 07:34, 31 March 2009 (UTC)

By the way, it's more likely to be a derringer (single-shot pistol) than a revolver. —Tamfang (talk) 18:24, 30 March 2009 (UTC)

A small hidden gun carried by the police is some times known as a throw downhotclaws 00:31, 31 March 2009 (UTC)

But do they carry it in a sleeve? —Tamfang (talk) 01:18, 31 March 2009 (UTC)

You talkin to me?—eric 07:27, 31 March 2009 (UTC)

I've known several policemen in my personal life and have never known any of them to literally have a gun up their sleeves. Nor has it ever been mentioned as something that they would do. Dismas|^(talk) 07:34, 31 March 2009 (UTC)

You talkin to me?—eric 07:27, 31 March 2009 (UTC)

I don't think the saying came from Taxi Driver, as much fun as it is to quote it. Livewireo (talk) 13:30, 31 March 2009 (UTC)

Faspa

I have checked both German to English and Russian to English for this word found here, without success. Can anyone give me a translation? It is making a red link in the article. // BL \\ (talk) 21:01, 28 March 2009 (UTC)

See this page. -- Wavelength (talk) 21:54, 28 March 2009 (UTC)

This page uses the spelling Vaspa. -- Wavelength (talk) 22:40, 28 March 2009 (UTC)

At first I was guessing that it had a derivation from words meaning "fast break", but now I am guessing that it has a derivation from the Latin word vesper (meaning "evening" or "supper"). -- Wavelength (talk) 22:45, 28 March 2009 (UTC)

From vesper are derived vesper bat and vespers. -- Wavelength (talk) 22:08, 1 April 2009 (UTC)