A million reasons to throw the book at him

[Snowflake]

Jeez, what an idiot. If you're going to counterfit a bill, how about one that is actually circulated?

story here (http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071128/ap_on_fe_st/odd_million_dollar_bill;_ylt=AhcpqS6t3X2grGKkADpaF gqs0NUE)

[sleepyjeff]

That made my day:)

[Cadaverous Pallor]

Who do you think that is on the bill?

[Kevy Baby]

Who do you think that is on the bill?I believe it is Grover Cleveland

http://d.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/p/ap/20071127/capt.331692e00086422f945f4bf39f243cea.odd_million_ dollar_bill_ny117.jpg?x=380&y=301&sig=3R5.Kr8T.dtNBMZmKjDsxA--

http://www.visitingdc.com/images/grover-cleveland-picture.jpg

ETA the old $1000 bill (featuring Grover Cleveland):

http://www.dreckless.com/images/1000%20dollar%20bill.jpg

[Snowflake]

He should have used Millard Fillmore!

[Gemini Cricket]

I wonder where that expression came from? I'm thinking sometime in colonial days they actually threw leather bound books at law breaking witches or something...

[Ghoulish Delight]

I wonder where that expression came from? I'm thinking sometime in colonial days they actually threw leather bound books at law breaking witches or something...It likely comes from the idea of "throwing every punishment in the book at him."

[Gemini Cricket]

It likely comes from the idea of "throwing every punishment in the book at him."
Yeah, but that's not as funny...

[Snowflake]

It's in the cultural dictionary (http://www.bartleby.com/59/4/throwthebook.html), but no history on the phrase.

I expect GD is right, and I'd add, this probably became popular in the 1930's, it seems very slangy, maybe because I've heard it in a million and 1 ganster movies

[Gemini Cricket]

Mugsy: "Listen here, Cappy. We're turnin' you in, see? It's curtains for you, yellow belly! I hopes they throw the book at you and toss your keester into the slammer, see?"
Cappy: "Please, Mugsy! Don't do it. I'll come clean."
Mugsy: "Spill it, Ugly. Drop the other shoe, see?"

[innerSpaceman]

He's not in dis stove.

[SacTown Chronic]

I wonder if he went with the cool million dollar bill to save on printing costs or was one-stop laundering his goal? Either way, he's a cagey bastard. And yelling at the bank employees when his plans went awry was exactly the right play.




When I was a kid, my mom would throw the book at me by breaking out her bible and busting my chops. At least that was the meaning of the phrase to me by the time I was twelve.