She's got my number?

[Mier Pala]

What do North(Americans) mean when they say someone has got another person's
number? eg Holyfield has got Tyson's number. I picked up a girl from a
nightclub recently and thought it was just for a nightie but made the big
mistake of giving her my phone number. When she realised I was dumping her,
she called obsessively and made a lot nuissance calls to me at odd hours.
She harrassed me so much and I was living in such a terrible fear that I
constantly thought: "This girl has got my number"
Is that what is meant also in boxing?
Thanks!
Mier

**** Posted from RemarQ - http://www.remarq.com - Discussions Start Here (tm) ****

[Greg Gioia]

Rule # 1...if you bang her that night, don't give her your number!

but actually you have the meaning wrong.

To say someone has another's number means they have them figured out, or
they control them. Holyfield has Tyson's number means Holyfield basicallly
owns Tyson. He can beat him every time. But I like your definition too.
Sort of the same idea from a different angle.

In article <5R1M2.533$dF4.1937194@WReNphoon1>, mier...@hotmail.com (Mier

[Paul Cassel]

In the middle of a fight, the potential loser must give his phone number to
the one who is apparently winning. These are US rules.

-Paul

Mier Pala <mier...@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:5R1M2.533$dF4.1937194@WReNphoon1...

[i cheehuahua]

When someone almost always beats you in a game of chess...they got your
number.
When the boss picks on you and only you...he has your number.
when the boss picks on everyone...he's got everyones number.
When a girl keeps calling you and getting under your skin...she has got
your number.

Pala, it can be used for just about anything. The english language is a
funny one.

i cheehuahua

[Chris Conti]

Plain and simple... when someone has you "figured out", they "got your
number" (or vice versa).

Example: You win a million dollars... your picture is in the papers and
your on tv. You go to your favorite bar, and the girl that always
ignored you before is all over your "jock"... you think about it and say
to yourself "she never wanted me before... hmmm? she likes me now
because of the money I won." You then tell her "I got your number
bitch." Get it?

[Eric Taylor]

Mier Pala <mier...@hotmail.com> wrote:
: What do North(Americans) mean when they say someone has got another person's

: number? eg Holyfield has got Tyson's number. I picked up a girl from a
: nightclub recently and thought it was just for a nightie but made the big
: mistake of giving her my phone number. When she realised I was dumping her,
: she called obsessively and made a lot nuissance calls to me at odd hours.
: She harrassed me so much and I was living in such a terrible fear that I
: constantly thought: "This girl has got my number"
: Is that what is meant also in boxing?

It's not just a North American saying. This saying has been around at
least since the 1800's and has nothing to do with the telephone.

e. In fig. use in phr.

to get (take, have) someone's number, to make a correct appraisal of
someone's character, motives or intentions, to size someone up.

1853 Dickens Bleak Ho. lvii. 550 Whenever a person proclaims to
you `In worldly matters I'm a child,'..that person is only a
crying off from being held accountable, and..you have got that
person's number, and it's Number One.

1889 Mark Twain Yankee xxxiv. 405 Let him go, for the present; I
took his number, so to speak.

1889 Mark Twain Yankee xxxv. 414 That was the sort of master we
had. I took his number.

1912 C. Mathewson Pitching in a Pinch i. 4 `I've got your number
now, Matty!' he shouted at me as he drew up at second base.

1920 W. Hard Raymond Robins' Own Story 190 To hurt Bolshevism
you need at least to get its number.

1921 R. D. Paine Comr. Rolling Ocean viii. 129 Do you remember
the day before when he made that crack at you in front of Miss
Crozier? I had his number right then.

1934 J. M. Cain Postman always rings Twice ii. 15 She knew what
I meant, and she knew I had her number.

1939 I. Baird Waste Heritage vi. 74 `Never mind who I am,' Matt
said, `I got your number anyway.'

1956 W. Graham Sleeping Partner xiii. 111, I was trying to think
of a verse all last night... I can't think who wrote it, but he
rather got my number.

1970 G. Jackson Let. 29 May in Soledad Brother (1971) 265 Big
Brother. He is rather transparent. I have his number.

1975 Times Lit. Suppl. 21 Mar. 332/4 Field-Marshal Lord
Montgomery..had [Augustus] John's number right away. `Who is
this chap?' he demanded to know. `He drinks, he's dirty, and I
know there are women in the background!'

Hmmm, I think that saying by Field-Marshal Lord Montgomery could be
applied to many on this newsgroup.

--- edt