Definition 6

WANTED
From:	Mary Greeley Gainesville, Fla.
Posted:	7 Dec 99

There's an expression I'm looking for that has gotten mixed up in my mind with "It's your shout," which I believe is a British phrase meaning something like "Since you're paying ..." What I want to tell my husband sometimes is "Since we're doing this for your sake ..." I know, I know, the two ideas are a little bit different!

For example, he likes shrimp a lot, so when we have shrimp for dinner, I'll figure we might as well have side dishes of his choosing as well. Or when we're going to his company's Christmas party, I'll want to know what he thinks I should wear. So -- other than the obvious "Would you like rice or potatoes with that, dear?" or "What should I wear to the party?" -- is there an idiom for situations like this? Something along the lines of "It's up to you," but warmer and more like "Make yourself happy"?

Have you seen the word we're looking for? Care to coin one of your own? Join the hunt in the Word Fugitives conference of Post & Riposte.

E-mail Barbara Wallraff to propose new Word Fugitives.

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