He knows from taps

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Marius Hancu - 01 Nov 2006 20:56 GMT

Hello:

Does "from" mean "about" here:

-----
["He" is Thomas Dewey, the prosecutor hunting down Dutch Schultz]

I know, but he knows from taps, may be he just don't want to take the
chance calling from his own house.
-----

Also, I guess it's non-standard, correct?

Thank you.
Marius Hancu

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Buckwheat Soba - 01 Nov 2006 20:24 GMT

> Hello:
>
[quoted text clipped - 6 lines]
> chance calling from his own house.
> -----

Yes.

> Also, I guess it's non-standard, correct?

Yes. It's a well-known feature of the variety of Yiddish-influenced
English spoken by Jewish immigrants or, perhaps, their children,
particularly, I think, in places like New York (LCIA). It came to be used
humorously and sometimes ironically in later times, even by persons
without obvious connection to Yiddish linguistic influence, often to
suggest expertise, and often in negative form to suggest an absence of
thorough knowledge about a particular thing.

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Buckwheat Soba

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Gerry - 02 Nov 2006 18:40 GMT

> Does "from" mean "about" here:
> I know, but he knows from taps, may be he just don't want to take the
> chance calling from his own house.

Yes,
In NooYawkese (my native tongue) one does not know ABOUT things; one knows
FROM things.

Gerry

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UC - 02 Nov 2006 18:50 GMT

> Hello:
>
[quoted text clipped - 5 lines]
> I know, but he knows from taps, may be he just don't want to take the
> chance calling from his own house.

The term 'taps' refers to "wire-taps", I believe. He does not want to
risk using his home telephone for fear of the police listening in.

> -----
>
> Also, I guess it's non-standard, correct?
>
> Thank you.
> Marius Hancu

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Discussion Groups / English Usage / November 2006

He knows from taps