Dibs
Encyclopedia
Calling dibs is an informal convention to declare a specific right to something that no individual otherwise has any clearly recognized right. Such a declaration is often recognized in certain cultures, or sub-cultures, as a means to avoid arguments over relatively trivial issues.
There are many colloquialisms associated with this concept, and with specific instances of this concept. For example, an individual planning to ride as a passenger in a car may call shotgun as a means to assert the right to ride in the front passenger seat instead of the back seat.
. This practice continues today and has been adapted to many new situations.
Another claim for the origin of the term can be found in The Joys of Yiddish
, by Leo Rosten
. Rosten claims the word is derived from the Yiddish phrase "fin dibsy" which means to lay claim on something. Additionally, the 1967 edition of "Dictionary of American Slang" states that the word "dibs" comes from the verb to divvy.
Essentially, 'to dib' as a verb has to do with "looking down, bending down, or delving into water".
, Chicago
and Pittsburgh, "dibs" also refers to the practice of holding a shoveled-out parking space after a heavy snowfall by putting chairs, laundry baskets, or other items in the street to mark the claimed space.
which gives school-related examples from 1866 onward. Similarly, bag or bags can be used informally as a verb
meaning claim in a phrase like "I'll bag the best seats". This is related to "to bag" meaning "to put something in a bag".
The Scout movement has a similar phrase which is not linked to "dib", but is actually "dyb". DYB is an acronym for "Do Your Best", and is used as a challenge which is responded to with DOB – Do Our Best.
In Portugal, the word "primeiros" or "primas" is the equivalent to the word dibs. The first is more popular than the second, which it is use normally in a special game.
In Mexico, the word "pido" (I ask) or "primis" (first) is commonly used by children to the same effect.
In Brazil, the word "primeiro", "primeirinho" ("the first one" or "the little first one" in Portuguese) or "meu", "minha" ("mine" in Portuguese) is used the same way.
In France, the word "prems" or "preums" (shortcut of "premier" which means "first") is commonly used for that. On the contrary, some people used to say "der" (shortcut of "dernier" which means "last").
In Russian speaking countries, the equivalent is "Чур моё" which means "mind you it's mine", or more recently "Забито" (loosely translated as "claimed").
In Denmark
, the equivalent for dibs is "Helle" which means "refuge". "Shotgun" and "Dibs" is also used.
In Sweden
, the equivalent for dibs is "Pax" which is Latin for "peace", although "etta vara" or "etta få", which basically means "I call first to be..." and "I call first to have..." (literally "number one to be/have"), also is commonly used. "Shotgun" and "Dibs" is also used.
In Norway
the equivalent for dibs is "Fus" (dialect, not used in the West), which means "first". Sometimes the word "fritt", which means "free", is also used in a situation where you want to claim something. "Dibs" is also used.
In Iceland
the equivalent for dibs is "Pant" which is short for "Ég panta" or in English "I order", However in common speech the word "Dibs" is commonly used especially amongst young men.
In the Netherlands
and Belgium
, the word "dibs" is used to call dibs. Also used is the word "Buut", from the French "But", meaning "Goal" or "Target". It is used in games of hide and seek when a hider touches base and is safe. To determine who can sit next to the driver in a car, the Dutch use the term "shotgun".
In Indonesia
, Singapore
and Malaysia, the equivalent for dibs is "choup" or "chop" or simple "cup" in the countries' respective informal Melayu language. The word corresponds to the action to stamp or to brand something. In calling "chop", one stakes claim by attempting to be the first to "stamp" one's name on the object.
In Hungary
, the equivalent for dibs is "stipistop", "stip-stop" or "stipistopi". They come from the word "stop" which has the similar meaning as in English.
In Germany
, the equivalent for dibs is "Erster" (meaning "first one"), although also both the word "shotgun" and "dibs" have found their way into use.
In Spain
, the equivalent for dibs is "primer" (meaning "first") and "Me lo pido" (meaning "I call on it")
In Portugal
, "'dibs'" is also used, as well as "'shotgun'".
In Poland
, the equivalent for dibs is "rezerwuję" or "zaklepuję" (colloquial) or "zamawiam" (rather childish use) which mean "I reserve".
In Nepal
the equivalent for dibs is "Mero" which is short for "Tyo mero ho" or in English "This is mine". This is commonly used with Nepali kids and the youngsters.
In Colombia
, the equivalent for dibs would be "me lo pido" which roughly means "I call on it".
In Italy
, the equivalent for dibs is "mio" (meaning "mine") or "primo" (meaning "first").
In Quebec
, a French-speaking province of Canada, the equivalent for dibs would be "Shotgun". Shotgun is also used in other parts of Canada.
In Israel
, both dibs and shotgun are used by in the full American sense as words borrowed from American English. The Hebrew words "ראשון" (first) and "שלי" (mine) are also used to call dibs, mostly by children.
There are many colloquialisms associated with this concept, and with specific instances of this concept. For example, an individual planning to ride as a passenger in a car may call shotgun as a means to assert the right to ride in the front passenger seat instead of the back seat.
Etymology
One theory for the origin of the word comes from markings made with chalk on the back of livestock up for sale in cattle yards throughout the southern states of the USA. Each potential customer would register their unique mark with a registrar at the meet, who would record this information in a "Dibs Identification Book". These books themselves came to be known collectively as DIBS, thereby forming a backronymBackronym
A backronym or bacronym is a phrase constructed purposely, such that an acronym can be formed to a specific desired word. Backronyms may be invented with serious or humorous intent, or may be a type of false or folk etymology....
. This practice continues today and has been adapted to many new situations.
Another claim for the origin of the term can be found in The Joys of Yiddish
The Joys of Yiddish
The Joys of Yiddish is a book containing the lexicon of common words and phrases in the Yiddish language, primarily focusing on those words that had become known to speakers of American English due to the influence of American Ashkenazi Jews...
, by Leo Rosten
Leo Rosten
Leo Calvin Rosten was born in Łódź, Russian Empire and died in New York City. He was a teacher and academic, but is best known as a humorist in the fields of scriptwriting, storywriting, journalism and Yiddish lexicography.-Early life:Rosten was born into a Yiddish-speaking family in what is now...
. Rosten claims the word is derived from the Yiddish phrase "fin dibsy" which means to lay claim on something. Additionally, the 1967 edition of "Dictionary of American Slang" states that the word "dibs" comes from the verb to divvy.
Essentially, 'to dib' as a verb has to do with "looking down, bending down, or delving into water".
Popular Culture
This page of wikipedia was made increasingly famous due to an episode of the Big Bang Theory where a member of the foursome, Rajesh, tells Howard "I can, and I did. Look up "dibs" in Wikipedia." in the episode Nerdvana Annihilation.Inside North America
In BostonBoston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
, Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
and Pittsburgh, "dibs" also refers to the practice of holding a shoveled-out parking space after a heavy snowfall by putting chairs, laundry baskets, or other items in the street to mark the claimed space.
Outside North America
In the United Kingdom, Ireland, New Zealand, and Australia, "bags" or "bagsie" (or variants including "begsie" and "bugsy") is used to the same effect. Australian use of "shotgun" or a shortened version "shotty" is becoming more popular. "Dibs" is also used, but to a lesser extent, due to American influence. "Bagsie" or "bags" started out as "Bags I", according to the Oxford English DictionaryOxford English Dictionary
The Oxford English Dictionary , published by the Oxford University Press, is the self-styled premier dictionary of the English language. Two fully bound print editions of the OED have been published under its current name, in 1928 and 1989. The first edition was published in twelve volumes , and...
which gives school-related examples from 1866 onward. Similarly, bag or bags can be used informally as a verb
Verb
A verb, from the Latin verbum meaning word, is a word that in syntax conveys an action , or a state of being . In the usual description of English, the basic form, with or without the particle to, is the infinitive...
meaning claim in a phrase like "I'll bag the best seats". This is related to "to bag" meaning "to put something in a bag".
The Scout movement has a similar phrase which is not linked to "dib", but is actually "dyb". DYB is an acronym for "Do Your Best", and is used as a challenge which is responded to with DOB – Do Our Best.
In Portugal, the word "primeiros" or "primas" is the equivalent to the word dibs. The first is more popular than the second, which it is use normally in a special game.
In Mexico, the word "pido" (I ask) or "primis" (first) is commonly used by children to the same effect.
In Brazil, the word "primeiro", "primeirinho" ("the first one" or "the little first one" in Portuguese) or "meu", "minha" ("mine" in Portuguese) is used the same way.
In France, the word "prems" or "preums" (shortcut of "premier" which means "first") is commonly used for that. On the contrary, some people used to say "der" (shortcut of "dernier" which means "last").
In Russian speaking countries, the equivalent is "Чур моё" which means "mind you it's mine", or more recently "Забито" (loosely translated as "claimed").
In Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
, the equivalent for dibs is "Helle" which means "refuge". "Shotgun" and "Dibs" is also used.
In Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
, the equivalent for dibs is "Pax" which is Latin for "peace", although "etta vara" or "etta få", which basically means "I call first to be..." and "I call first to have..." (literally "number one to be/have"), also is commonly used. "Shotgun" and "Dibs" is also used.
In Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
the equivalent for dibs is "Fus" (dialect, not used in the West), which means "first". Sometimes the word "fritt", which means "free", is also used in a situation where you want to claim something. "Dibs" is also used.
In Iceland
Iceland
Iceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population...
the equivalent for dibs is "Pant" which is short for "Ég panta" or in English "I order", However in common speech the word "Dibs" is commonly used especially amongst young men.
In the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
and Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
, the word "dibs" is used to call dibs. Also used is the word "Buut", from the French "But", meaning "Goal" or "Target". It is used in games of hide and seek when a hider touches base and is safe. To determine who can sit next to the driver in a car, the Dutch use the term "shotgun".
In Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
, Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
and Malaysia, the equivalent for dibs is "choup" or "chop" or simple "cup" in the countries' respective informal Melayu language. The word corresponds to the action to stamp or to brand something. In calling "chop", one stakes claim by attempting to be the first to "stamp" one's name on the object.
In Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
, the equivalent for dibs is "stipistop", "stip-stop" or "stipistopi". They come from the word "stop" which has the similar meaning as in English.
In Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, the equivalent for dibs is "Erster" (meaning "first one"), although also both the word "shotgun" and "dibs" have found their way into use.
In Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
, the equivalent for dibs is "primer" (meaning "first") and "Me lo pido" (meaning "I call on it")
In Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
, "'dibs'" is also used, as well as "'shotgun'".
In Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
, the equivalent for dibs is "rezerwuję" or "zaklepuję" (colloquial) or "zamawiam" (rather childish use) which mean "I reserve".
In Nepal
Nepal
Nepal , officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, is a landlocked sovereign state located in South Asia. It is located in the Himalayas and bordered to the north by the People's Republic of China, and to the south, east, and west by the Republic of India...
the equivalent for dibs is "Mero" which is short for "Tyo mero ho" or in English "This is mine". This is commonly used with Nepali kids and the youngsters.
In Colombia
Colombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
, the equivalent for dibs would be "me lo pido" which roughly means "I call on it".
In Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, the equivalent for dibs is "mio" (meaning "mine") or "primo" (meaning "first").
In Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
, a French-speaking province of Canada, the equivalent for dibs would be "Shotgun". Shotgun is also used in other parts of Canada.
In Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
, both dibs and shotgun are used by in the full American sense as words borrowed from American English. The Hebrew words "ראשון" (first) and "שלי" (mine) are also used to call dibs, mostly by children.