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euchre
< euchre (n.) 'a card game'
DCHP-2 (Oct 2016)
v. — Games, usually passive to be/get euchred
to cheat, outwit, foil something or someone.
Type: 3. Semantic Change — The North American card game of euchre is the source of this conversion from a noun, denoting the card game, to a verb. OED-3 offers the meaning of 'to gain the advantage over (an adversary) by his failure to take three tricks' (OED-3, s.v. euchre v. (2)) as a metaphorical extension. The literal meaning is tied to euchre. In the game, a player can pass, but if they decide to make an attempt to play, they must make three tricks, as failure results in being euchred.
The verb euchre is a conversion from the noun naming a type of card game, and the meaning is a figurative shift from the meaning. COD-2 lists the term as CanE, NZE and AusE. The internet data (see Chart 1) suggests that it is relatively frequent in New Zealand and relatively infrequent elsewhere.
See also Gage-1, s.v. "euchre" (2), which is marked "Informal", ITP Nelson, s.v. "euchre" tr.v. (2).
The verb euchre is a conversion from the noun naming a type of card game, and the meaning is a figurative shift from the meaning. COD-2 lists the term as CanE, NZE and AusE. The internet data (see Chart 1) suggests that it is relatively frequent in New Zealand and relatively infrequent elsewhere.
See also Gage-1, s.v. "euchre" (2), which is marked "Informal", ITP Nelson, s.v. "euchre" tr.v. (2).
See: poker derby
Quotations
1873
Still, Sir Hugh is an honourable man, though his "American allies," whom he euchred, have been lately called everything bad. But, says the Citizen, the Ontario Government has done much worse than either Sir John or Sir Hugh.
1879
Now that the way to a peaceful and honourable settlement is clear, it looks very much as if an attempt is about to be made to euchre Ontario out of a valuable domain which is both morally and legally hers by right.
1897
To him was entrusted the responsible work of keeping posted on all the doings of the provincial legislature, and to see that they should introduce no acts that would "euchre" the company out of the 20,000,000 property.
1979
Five years ago Bassett was euchred out of establishing a World Football League team in Toronto because the Government, through its designated white knight of that time, Health Minister Marc Lalonde, intoned that the presence of U.S. football within our pristine borders would cause all our virgins to go barren, or something.
1982
If the Clark government had not been euchred out of office by the machinations of MacEachen in defeating the government, with NDP help, over the Crosbie budget a very great deal of our problem with a weak Canadian dollar would have been avoided.
1987
First thing we do, we'll go down to Washington and say, 'Look, my predecessor got euchred by you fellows. Where do we go?'
1998
It's possible that the federal government euchred itself when it posed its questions to the Supreme Court.
2003
He has been an astounding success as a politician, even though eventually euchred at his own game by Paul Martin.
2005
"You hit an anti-tank mine, either single or stacked, you're pretty much euchred anyway," he said.
References
- OED-3
- Gage-1
- ITP Nelson
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