36. Gambling has affected the American lifestyle and language

By Tom O'Connell

The word "gamble" means "to play," and more complete interpretations provided by Webster's New World Dictionary include "to play games of chance for money or some other stake" and "to take a risk in order to gain some advantage."

When this nation revolted against the British it was a big gamble and there were large losses, but in the end we won. On the other hand, in Vietnam we gambled and lost.

We're a gambling nation, and our culture is permeated with gambling language. The British didn't give us these terms. They're uniquely American terms derived from words used by the original Mississippi riverboat gamblers more than a century ago.

Over the years, the use of gambling terms in our language has increased along with the frequency of gambling as an element of American life. And although we didn't invent gambling in America, we've managed to turn it into a national pastime.

Response to an invitation: "You bet." Comment on buying a car: "I got a good deal." A major challenge: "Big deal." A sound transaction: "Square deal."

In social programs we talk about getting a "fair deal." And Roosevelt made history with a program he called "the New Deal." When we feel we've been taken advantage of, we say we got a "raw deal." And in investments we say "Deal me in" or "Deal me out." If we've been tricked we're apt to say someone's been "dealing from the bottom of the deck."

In business, when someone aims for "high stakes" yet appears calm, he has a "poker face." And when someone won't take the blame, we say, "She's passing the buck."

In a debate we may say, "For openers..." College students say, "I aced the exam." Perplexed, we say, "What the deuce is going on here?" The two in dice is synonymous with bad luck. But when we "hit the jackpot" we've scored a big win.

When someone is trying to "string you along," you may "call his bluff" or tell her to "Ante up." When we say, "Let's up the ante," we're trying to make "the deal" sweeter.

If you live in an exclusive town you're in a "blue chip" suburb. And when someone decides to "cash in his chips" he's out of the game, or maybe out of the game of life itself.

Gambling has made a powerful impact on the American mind and language. Which states in the Union haven't set up a lottery? Groups that once crusaded against the evils of gambling now turn to it to attract revenue. Is there a church or civic group that doesn't use gambling to raise money? Bingo? Las Vegas night? Raffle? Auction?

What do you think about the odds against hitting "the jackpot"? Is "the deck  stacked" against the average better? Do you think organized gambling is a "square deal"? And do you think gambling is one of our leading addictions now? "You bet!"

Taking risks is a basic element of life since each choice we make is a risk. But if we go too far with our betting, gambling can become addictive. Like the alcoholics who need to abstain from the substance that alters their moods, compulsive gamblers need to abstain from the betting behavior that gives them a rush. The stakes are too high.

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