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pull a fast one Hello! I'd like to know the origin of this idiom. Thanks in advance :-)

Answers · 5

2
Hi another way of expressing this is, "Pull a swifty".
1
Pull a fast one (Origin): The actual source of the expression is from the early 19th century when paper currency was first coming into public acceptance, after centuries of exclusive reliance on precious-metal coinage. To "pull a fast one" refers to palming (pulling) a bill or banknote during a shortchanging maneuver. The analogy to card-playing seems obvious, but I think "pull a fast one" is more a grassroots term than a bit of gambling argot, and in the early days of paper money the average person was much more likely to come into contact with shortchange grifters than cardsharks.
1
Hmmm this phrase is so common no-one seems definite about where it came from. The best explanation I've found is about a magician's sleight-of-hand, ie. "the hand is quicker than the eye". Since this also involves tricking someone, that may be the original "fast one". Who knows?
0
I hear "pull a swifty" more, and quite often in reference to being ripped off. It means to trick someone.
0
It originated when I first invented it.

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