Goodfellas movie quote (expletives alert)
QT
I'd like to know what the following quote from my favourite movie means
in English a non-native speaker would understand:
"He bought his fucking button! That fake old tough guy."
I'd assume most people who've seen the film will immediately recognise
the scene in which this is said.
I'm especially perplexed by what "the button" refers to.
As a side note, does anyone know what happened to alt.english.usage?
I can't find anymore.
TIA
qt
cweil
"QT" <quicktransU...@fastmail.fm> wrote in message
news:i11eql$l86$1...@speranza.aioe.org...
[...]
> Hello,
> As a side note, does anyone know what happened to alt.english.usage?
> I can't find anymore.
>
> TIA
>
> qt
Yet, it still exists (I subscribed to it) but is less active than
alt.usage.english.
QT
Thanks, I've just found out I can subscribe to it using a different news
server.
I still think AUE is a better place for English learners, but I simply
don't have time to read so many interesting topics.
qt
Nick Spalding
on Wed, 07 Jul 2010 10:44:53 +0200:
> As a side note, does anyone know what happened to alt.english.usage?
> I can't find anymore.
For reasons best known to itself aioe seems not to carry it. Other free
servers that do carry it include albasani and eternal-september.
--
Nick Spalding
BrE/IrE
Peter Duncanson (BrE)
<quicktransU...@fastmail.fm> wrote:
>Hello,
>
>I'd like to know what the following quote from my favourite movie means
>in English a non-native speaker would understand:
>"He bought his fucking button! That fake old tough guy."
>I'd assume most people who've seen the film will immediately recognise
>the scene in which this is said.
>I'm especially perplexed by what "the button" refers to.
>
It is possible that the button was the pin-on type worn to show
political allegiance during an election campaign, supplied in exchange
for a donation to a charity or for various other purposes.
http://rlv.zazzle.com/mccain_palin_pin_button-p1450353893852194017pvx_325.jpg
http://www.odeecompany.net/imgodeebig/round-celluloid-button-with-safety-pin.jpg
http://www.redpudsey.co.uk/scooter-badges-pi-2820.html?osCsid=f7fb214ea7861bf2fcbb2501f60f2f52
I think the idea in what you quoted is that an "old tough guy" would
have been able to get one without paying and that because he paid he was
only a fake "old tough guy".
>As a side note, does anyone know what happened to alt.english.usage?
>I can't find anymore.
>
>TIA
>
>qt
--
Peter Duncanson, UK
(in alt.usage.english)
CDB
Urban Dictionary:
>
BUTTON a "made" member of the Mafia; soldier, wiseguy, goodfella, Man
of Honor.
Don't worry about that Button, he runs with Joe's crew.
>
Why not tell us what film it was? Everybody can Google, but why
require it? You're the one who wants an answer..
the Omrud
I know many of us don't normally read the Subject line, but, I did
actually spot it there.
--
David
CDB
"goodfellas" was in the nature of a generic.
the Omrud
For we in AUE all are jolly goodfellas? So says all of me, anyway.
--
David
CDB
wrong.
John Dean
"Getting your button" means to be 'made'. You can be a member of the Mafia
without being made, but once you have distinguished yourself (usually by
committing at least one murder) you can be 'made' which gives you a
privileged status.
To suggest that someone 'bought' his button implies he's not really a
mafioso who has 'made his bones' but is someone who got the rank as a favour
for being a good earner.
Tommy (the guy who speaks the line in the movie) is in the mob but is not
made. When he is told he is going to be made in recognition of his service
he dresses up and lets the guys take him the ceremony. Where, instead of
being made, they kill him for having killed a made guy himself.
--
John Dean
Oxford
Ray OHara
"John Dean" <john...@fraglineone.net> wrote in message
news:89jds2...@mid.individual.net...
Like Casino Godfellas is mostly a true story.
The characters and major events are real but they stretch things a bit.
Hatunen
I wonder if QT changed news servers. My ISP dropped Usenet so I
went to another server and also lost AEU.
--
************* DAVE HATUNEN (hat...@cox.net) *************
* Tucson Arizona, out where the cacti grow *
* My typos & mispellings are intentional copyright traps *
Robin Bignall
wrote:
You'll have the lady members of the group searching for their Chicago
Pianos.
--
Robin Bignall
(BrE)
Herts, England
the Omrud
Yes, I should have apologised in advance. However there has been no
complaint, so perhaps they didn't see it.
--
David
Robin Bignall
wrote:
>On 08/07/2010 22:10, Robin Bignall wrote:
>> On Wed, 07 Jul 2010 13:22:56 +0100, the Omrud<usenet...@gmail.com>
>> wrote:
>>>
>>> On 07/07/2010 13:15, CDB wrote:
>>>> the Omrud wrote:
>>>>
>>>>> I know many of us don't normally read the Subject line, but, I did
>>>>> actually spot it there.
>>>>>
>>>> Ah. Thanks, and sorry to QT. I did read it cursorily, but thought
>>>> "goodfellas" was in the nature of a generic.
>>>
>>> For we in AUE all are jolly goodfellas? So says all of me, anyway.
>>
>> You'll have the lady members of the group searching for their Chicago
>> Pianos.
>
>Yes, I should have apologised in advance. However there has been no
>complaint, so perhaps they didn't see it.
The Tommy Gun is a fairly close-up weapon. Watch out at the next
boink.