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Receipts

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  Receipts Steve Hayes <hayesstw@telkomsa.net> - 2026-06-26 17:00 +0200
    Re: Receipts athel.cb@gmail.com <user12588@newsgrouper.org.invalid> - 2026-06-26 15:01 +0000
      Re: Receipts Hibou <vpaereru-unmonitored@yahoo.com.invalid> - 2026-06-26 19:17 +0100
        Re: Receipts Steve Hayes <hayesstw@telkomsa.net> - 2026-06-27 05:02 +0200
          Re: Receipts The True Melissa <thetruemelissa@gmail.com> - 2026-06-27 06:10 -0400
            Re: Receipts Steve Hayes <hayesstw@telkomsa.net> - 2026-06-28 03:29 +0200
            Re: Receipts Mike Spencer <mds@bogus.nodomain.nowhere> - 2026-06-29 02:17 -0300
        Re: Receipts Peter Moylan <peter@pmoylan.org> - 2026-06-27 15:47 +1000
          Re: Receipts Hibou <vpaereru-unmonitored@yahoo.com.invalid> - 2026-06-27 11:15 +0100
            Re: Receipts nospam@de-ster.demon.nl (J. J. Lodder) - 2026-06-27 13:25 +0200
            Re: Receipts Aidan Kehoe <kehoea@parhasard.net> - 2026-06-28 08:29 +0100
              Re: Receipts Steve Hayes <hayesstw@telkomsa.net> - 2026-06-28 17:09 +0200
          Re: Receipts "s|b" <me@privacy.invalid> - 2026-06-27 13:49 +0200
          Re: Receipts Tony Cooper <tonycooper214@gmail.com> - 2026-06-27 11:30 -0400
            Re: Receipts richard@cogsci.ed.ac.uk (Richard Tobin) - 2026-06-27 18:49 +0000
              Re: Receipts liz@poppyrecords.invalid.invalid (Liz Tuddenham) - 2026-06-27 21:58 +0100
              Re: Receipts Peter Moylan <peter@pmoylan.org> - 2026-06-28 11:21 +1000
                Re: Receipts Hibou <vpaereru-unmonitored@yahoo.com.invalid> - 2026-06-28 05:51 +0100
              Re: Receipts Ross Clark <benlizro@ihug.co.nz> - 2026-06-28 18:57 +1200
                Re: Receipts Hibou <vpaereru-unmonitored@yahoo.com.invalid> - 2026-06-28 11:46 +0100
                  Re: Receipts Snidely <snidely.too@gmail.com> - 2026-06-30 19:40 -0700
                    Re: Receipts Hibou <vpaereru-unmonitored@yahoo.com.invalid> - 2026-07-01 07:19 +0100
                      Re: Receipts Snidely <snidely.too@gmail.com> - 2026-07-01 03:21 -0700
                        Re: Receipts Hibou <vpaereru-unmonitored@yahoo.com.invalid> - 2026-07-01 11:49 +0100
                        Re: Receipts Peter Moylan <peter@pmoylan.org> - 2026-07-01 21:16 +1000
                          Re: Receipts athel.cb@gmail.com <user12588@newsgrouper.org.invalid> - 2026-07-01 12:57 +0000
                            Re: Receipts Hibou <vpaereru-unmonitored@yahoo.com.invalid> - 2026-07-01 15:40 +0100
                              Re: Receipts Peter Moylan <peter@pmoylan.org> - 2026-07-02 09:44 +1000
                      Re: Receipts Steve Hayes <hayesstw@telkomsa.net> - 2026-07-02 05:16 +0200
                        Re: Receipts Hibou <vpaereru-unmonitored@yahoo.com.invalid> - 2026-07-02 06:11 +0100
                          Re: Receipts Steve Hayes <hayesstw@telkomsa.net> - 2026-07-03 08:28 +0200
                            Re: Receipts Hibou <vpaereru-unmonitored@yahoo.com.invalid> - 2026-07-04 11:55 +0100
        Re: Receipts occam <occam@nowhere.nix> - 2026-06-27 14:22 +0200
          Re: Receipts Phil <phil@anonymous.invalid> - 2026-06-27 18:18 +0100
            Re: Receipts ram@zedat.fu-berlin.de (Stefan Ram) - 2026-06-27 18:35 +0000
              Re: Receipts Tony Cooper <tonycooper214@gmail.com> - 2026-06-27 15:05 -0400
      Re: Receipts Steve Hayes <hayesstw@telkomsa.net> - 2026-06-27 04:44 +0200
        Re: Receipts nospam@de-ster.demon.nl (J. J. Lodder) - 2026-06-27 13:25 +0200
          Re: Receipts Steve Hayes <hayesstw@telkomsa.net> - 2026-06-28 03:39 +0200
            Re: Receipts nospam@de-ster.demon.nl (J. J. Lodder) - 2026-06-28 11:01 +0200
              Re: Receipts Peter Moylan <peter@pmoylan.org> - 2026-06-28 21:21 +1000
              Re: Receipts "s|b" <me@privacy.invalid> - 2026-06-28 15:48 +0200
                Re: Receipts nospam@de-ster.demon.nl (J. J. Lodder) - 2026-06-28 21:32 +0200
                  Re: Receipts "s|b" <me@privacy.invalid> - 2026-06-29 17:45 +0200
            Re: Receipts "s|b" <me@privacy.invalid> - 2026-06-28 15:42 +0200
    Re: Receipts "s|b" <me@privacy.invalid> - 2026-06-26 18:13 +0200
      Re: Receipts Tony Cooper <tonycooper214@gmail.com> - 2026-06-26 12:57 -0400
        Re: Receipts "s|b" <me@privacy.invalid> - 2026-06-27 13:40 +0200
          Re: Receipts Tony Cooper <tonycooper214@gmail.com> - 2026-06-27 11:01 -0400
            Re: Receipts Steve Hayes <hayesstw@telkomsa.net> - 2026-06-28 03:53 +0200
              Re: Receipts Tony Cooper <tonycooper214@gmail.com> - 2026-06-27 23:26 -0400
          Re: Receipts Peter Moylan <peter@pmoylan.org> - 2026-06-28 11:37 +1000
            Re: Receipts Hibou <vpaereru-unmonitored@yahoo.com.invalid> - 2026-06-28 05:51 +0100
            Re: Receipts nospam@de-ster.demon.nl (J. J. Lodder) - 2026-06-28 11:01 +0200
      Re: Receipts Hibou <vpaereru-unmonitored@yahoo.com.invalid> - 2026-06-26 19:24 +0100
        Re: Receipts liz@poppyrecords.invalid.invalid (Liz Tuddenham) - 2026-06-27 12:23 +0100
        Re: Receipts "s|b" <me@privacy.invalid> - 2026-06-27 13:41 +0200
          Re: Receipts Hibou <vpaereru-unmonitored@yahoo.com.invalid> - 2026-06-27 13:39 +0100
      Re: Receipts Steve Hayes <hayesstw@telkomsa.net> - 2026-06-27 05:04 +0200
    Re: Receipts Tony Cooper <tonycooper214@gmail.com> - 2026-06-26 12:46 -0400
      Re: Receipts Steve Hayes <hayesstw@telkomsa.net> - 2026-06-27 05:25 +0200
        Re: Receipts Tony Cooper <tonycooper214@gmail.com> - 2026-06-27 00:31 -0400
          Re: Receipts Steve Hayes <hayesstw@telkomsa.net> - 2026-06-27 19:00 +0200
            Re: Receipts The True Melissa <thetruemelissa@gmail.com> - 2026-06-27 13:16 -0400
              Re: Receipts "s|b" <me@privacy.invalid> - 2026-06-27 19:33 +0200
              Re: Receipts Steve Hayes <hayesstw@telkomsa.net> - 2026-06-28 04:09 +0200
                Re: Receipts Tony Cooper <tonycooper214@gmail.com> - 2026-06-27 23:25 -0400
            Re: Receipts Tony Cooper <tonycooper214@gmail.com> - 2026-06-27 14:51 -0400
        Re: Receipts "s|b" <me@privacy.invalid> - 2026-06-27 13:58 +0200
          Re: Receipts Steve Hayes <hayesstw@telkomsa.net> - 2026-06-28 04:16 +0200
            Re: Receipts "s|b" <me@privacy.invalid> - 2026-06-28 10:16 +0200
      Re: Receipts "s|b" <me@privacy.invalid> - 2026-06-27 13:31 +0200
    Re: Receipts <-- mis-dictation? cursed? "Mr. Man-wai Chang" <toylet.toylet@gmail.com> - 2026-06-27 12:10 +0800
      Re: Receipts <-- mis-dictation? cursed? Steve Hayes <hayesstw@telkomsa.net> - 2026-06-27 19:05 +0200
        Re: Receipts <-- mis-dictation? cursed? Tony Cooper <tonycooper214@gmail.com> - 2026-06-27 15:01 -0400
          Re: Receipts <-- mis-dictation? cursed? "Mr. Man-wai Chang" <toylet.toylet@gmail.com> - 2026-06-28 12:54 +0800
        Re: Receipts <-- mis-dictation? cursed? nospam@de-ster.demon.nl (J. J. Lodder) - 2026-06-27 23:10 +0200
          Re: Receipts <-- mis-dictation? cursed? Steve Hayes <hayesstw@telkomsa.net> - 2026-06-28 04:21 +0200
            Re: Receipts ... ignore threads? "Mr. Man-wai Chang" <toylet.toylet@gmail.com> - 2026-06-28 12:53 +0800
            Re: Receipts <-- mis-dictation? cursed? occam <occam@nowhere.nix> - 2026-06-28 09:35 +0200
              Re: Receipts <-- mis-dictation? cursed? "Mr. Man-wai Chang" <toylet.toylet@gmail.com> - 2026-06-28 18:19 +0800
                Re: Receipts <-- mis-dictation? cursed? Peter Moylan <peter@pmoylan.org> - 2026-06-28 21:28 +1000
                  Re: Receipts <-- mis-dictation? cursed? occam <occam@nowhere.nix> - 2026-06-29 08:16 +0200
                    Re: Receipts <-- mis-dictation? cursed? "Mr. Man-wai Chang" <toylet.toylet@gmail.com> - 2026-06-29 19:18 +0800
            Re: Receipts <-- mis-dictation? cursed? nospam@de-ster.demon.nl (J. J. Lodder) - 2026-06-28 11:01 +0200
          Re: Receipts ... forcing delta updates to old NNTP servers? "Mr. Man-wai Chang" <toylet.toylet@gmail.com> - 2026-06-28 12:46 +0800
    Re: Receipts vs Magical Talisman??? "Mr. Man-wai Chang" <toylet.toylet@gmail.com> - 2026-07-01 14:42 +0800

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#1145773 — Receipts

Receipts - English usage                            24 June 2026
    "In all my years covering conflicts in the Middle East, I've never
    before seen armed forces *deliberately* targeting children. But
    the receipts are there for all to see..."

    What does "receipts" mean in this context?


-- 
Steve Hayes from Tshwane, South Africa
Web:  http://www.khanya.org.za/stevesig.htm
Blog: http://methodius.blogspot.com
E-mail - see web page, or parse: shayes at dunelm full stop org full stop uk

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#1145775

Steve Hayes <hayesstw@telkomsa.net> posted:

> Receipts - English usage                            24 June 2026
>     "In all my years covering conflicts in the Middle East, I've never
>     before seen armed forces *deliberately* targeting children. But
>     the receipts are there for all to see..."
> 
>     What does "receipts" mean in this context?
> 
Who are you replying to? If it's some nutter then "receipts" could mean
anything.


-- 
athel

Living in Marseilles for 39 years; mainly in England before that,
with long periods in Singapore, California, Chile and Canada 

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#1145782

Le 26/06/2026 à 16:01, athel.cb@gmail.com a écrit :
> Steve Hayes <hayesstw@telkomsa.net> posted:
>>
>> Receipts - English usage                            24 June 2026
>>      "In all my years covering conflicts in the Middle East, I've never
>>      before seen armed forces *deliberately* targeting children. But
>>      the receipts are there for all to see..."
>>
>>      What does "receipts" mean in this context?
>
> Who are you replying to? If it's some nutter then "receipts" could mean
> anything.


Google Web Search finds numerous examples of "But the receipts are there 
for all to see" on Twitter (X), Instagram, and other antisocial 
networks, and, as far as I can see, none elsewhere. I think I'd write 
this use of 'receipts' off as random noise - or deliberate misquotation 
in order to stir it by someone who is not a native English speaker - or 
as a transcription error if the original was spoken. I can't think what 
the original might be, though.

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#1145789

On Fri, 26 Jun 2026 19:17:14 +0100, Hibou
<vpaereru-unmonitored@yahoo.com.invalid> wrote:

>Le 26/06/2026 à 16:01, athel.cb@gmail.com a écrit :
>> Steve Hayes <hayesstw@telkomsa.net> posted:
>>>
>>> Receipts - English usage                            24 June 2026
>>>      "In all my years covering conflicts in the Middle East, I've never
>>>      before seen armed forces *deliberately* targeting children. But
>>>      the receipts are there for all to see..."
>>>
>>>      What does "receipts" mean in this context?
>>
>> Who are you replying to? If it's some nutter then "receipts" could mean
>> anything.
>
>
>Google Web Search finds numerous examples of "But the receipts are there 
>for all to see" on Twitter (X), Instagram, and other antisocial 
>networks, and, as far as I can see, none elsewhere. I think I'd write 
>this use of 'receipts' off as random noise - or deliberate misquotation 
>in order to stir it by someone who is not a native English speaker - or 
>as a transcription error if the original was spoken. I can't think what 
>the original might be, though.

Yes, it's not the first time I've seen it used like that, so ity
obviously means something to someone -- it's not simply an error.
While not exactly a neologism, it's using an existing word to mean
something it hasn't meant previously. Perhaps I should do a search in
one of those urban dictionaries. 




-- 
Steve Hayes from Tshwane, South Africa
Web:  http://www.khanya.org.za/stevesig.htm
Blog: http://methodius.blogspot.com
E-mail - see web page, or parse: shayes at dunelm full stop org full stop uk

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#1145800

Verily, in article <92fu3l1dloim0vmmtov4os9u3ufckufugi@4ax.com>, did 
hayesstw@telkomsa.net deliver unto us this message:
> 
> On Fri, 26 Jun 2026 19:17:14 +0100, Hibou
> <vpaereru-unmonitored@yahoo.com.invalid> wrote:
> >
> >Google Web Search finds numerous examples of "But the receipts are there 
> >for all to see" on Twitter (X), Instagram, and other antisocial 
> >networks, and, as far as I can see, none elsewhere. I think I'd write 
> >this use of 'receipts' off as random noise - or deliberate misquotation 
> >in order to stir it by someone who is not a native English speaker - or 
> >as a transcription error if the original was spoken. I can't think what 
> >the original might be, though.
> 
> Yes, it's not the first time I've seen it used like that, so ity
> obviously means something to someone -- it's not simply an error.
> While not exactly a neologism, it's using an existing word to mean
> something it hasn't meant previously. Perhaps I should do a search in
> one of those urban dictionaries. 

It means proof in the sense of hard evidence. If I tell you that I have 
the receipts for my statements, I mean that I can produce evidence if 
needed. 

-- 
The True Melissa - Canal Winchester - Ohio
United States of America - North America - Earth
Solar System - Milky Way - Local Group
Virgo Cluster - Laniakea Supercluster - Cosmos

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#1145833

On Sat, 27 Jun 2026 06:10:25 -0400, The True Melissa
<thetruemelissa@gmail.com> wrote:

>Verily, in article <92fu3l1dloim0vmmtov4os9u3ufckufugi@4ax.com>, did 
>hayesstw@telkomsa.net deliver unto us this message:
>> 
>> On Fri, 26 Jun 2026 19:17:14 +0100, Hibou
>> <vpaereru-unmonitored@yahoo.com.invalid> wrote:
>> >
>> >Google Web Search finds numerous examples of "But the receipts are there 
>> >for all to see" on Twitter (X), Instagram, and other antisocial 
>> >networks, and, as far as I can see, none elsewhere. I think I'd write 
>> >this use of 'receipts' off as random noise - or deliberate misquotation 
>> >in order to stir it by someone who is not a native English speaker - or 
>> >as a transcription error if the original was spoken. I can't think what 
>> >the original might be, though.
>> 
>> Yes, it's not the first time I've seen it used like that, so ity
>> obviously means something to someone -- it's not simply an error.
>> While not exactly a neologism, it's using an existing word to mean
>> something it hasn't meant previously. Perhaps I should do a search in
>> one of those urban dictionaries. 
>
>It means proof in the sense of hard evidence. If I tell you that I have 
>the receipts for my statements, I mean that I can produce evidence if 
>needed. 

Thanks.

When it seemed that no one in aue or aeu had ever heard or the usage,
much less knowing its origin or meaning, I asked on a couple of
general forums (not specificallly devoted to English usage), and got
answer's that suggest that it is predominantly US, and here's what
some said:

 Ben Meiselas of the Meidas Touch Network on YouTube often states, "I
have
 the receipts" when talking about the things the Trump administration
is
 doing. In other words, he's saying he has the facts, video or audio
to
 back up what he's reporting.Dave 

    On Saturday, June 27, 2026 at 01:02:11 PM CDT, Keith Meintjes via
    groups.io wrote:  

 In the USA and is attributed to Whitney Houston in an interview with
 Diane
Sawyer. There is lots of detail in a ChatGTP answer I got.



-- 
Steve Hayes from Tshwane, South Africa
Web:  http://www.khanya.org.za/stevesig.htm
Blog: http://methodius.blogspot.com
E-mail - see web page, or parse: shayes at dunelm full stop org full stop uk

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#1145883

The True Melissa <thetruemelissa@gmail.com> writes:

> Verily, in article <92fu3l1dloim0vmmtov4os9u3ufckufugi@4ax.com>, did 
> hayesstw@telkomsa.net deliver unto us this message:
>> 
>> On Fri, 26 Jun 2026 19:17:14 +0100, Hibou
>> <vpaereru-unmonitored@yahoo.com.invalid> wrote:
>>>
>>> Google Web Search finds numerous examples of "But the receipts are there 
>>> for all to see" on Twitter (X), Instagram, and other antisocial 
>>> networks, and, as far as I can see, none elsewhere. I think I'd write 
>>> this use of 'receipts' off as random noise - or deliberate misquotation 
>>> in order to stir it by someone who is not a native English speaker - or 
>>> as a transcription error if the original was spoken. I can't think what 
>>> the original might be, though.
>> 
>> Yes, it's not the first time I've seen it used like that, so ity
>> obviously means something to someone -- it's not simply an error.
>> While not exactly a neologism, it's using an existing word to mean
>> something it hasn't meant previously. Perhaps I should do a search in
>> one of those urban dictionaries. 
> 
> It means proof in the sense of hard evidence. If I tell you that I have 
> the receipts for my statements, I mean that I can produce evidence if 
> needed. 

It's a metaphor, whether intentional or the result of habitual muddled
thinking.  Proof that you paid for your restaurant meal, that you paid
for the product you want to return, that you did not in fact shoplift
that that packet of condoms or that you did in fact pay the plumber
for the new toilet -- those are receipts, documents.

To generalize that to mean tangible or measurable consequences of an
act is either a metaphor or a sloppy locution.

And yes, I've seen this usage several times in the last year or so.
I never noticed the nationality of the writer but guessing USAian.


-- 
Mike Spencer                  Nova Scotia, Canada

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#1145795

On 27/06/26 04:17, Hibou wrote:
> Le 26/06/2026 à 16:01, athel.cb@gmail.com a écrit :
>> Steve Hayes <hayesstw@telkomsa.net> posted:
>>>
>>> Receipts - English usage                            24 June 2026
>>>      "In all my years covering conflicts in the Middle East, I've never
>>>      before seen armed forces *deliberately* targeting children. But
>>>      the receipts are there for all to see..."
>>>
>>>      What does "receipts" mean in this context?
>>
>> Who are you replying to? If it's some nutter then "receipts" could mean
>> anything.
>
> Google Web Search finds numerous examples of "But the receipts are
> there for all to see" on Twitter (X), Instagram, and other antisocial
>  networks, and, as far as I can see, none elsewhere. I think I'd
> write this use of 'receipts' off as random noise - or deliberate
> misquotation in order to stir it by someone who is not a native
> English speaker - or as a transcription error if the original was
> spoken. I can't think what the original might be, though.

There's plenty of newspaper coverage of the UN report, but I don't think
I've seen any verbatim quoting of what the UN person said. Thus, we
can't tell whether he said "receipts" or that word turned up in
second-hand reports.

My guess is that whoever said it was not a native speaker of English,
who used a word that would have made sense in his own native language.

-- 
Peter Moylan       peter@pmoylan.org    http://www.pmoylan.org
Newcastle, NSW

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#1145801

Le 27/06/2026 à 06:47, Peter Moylan a écrit :
>>> Steve Hayes posted:
>>>>
>>>> Receipts - English usage                            24 June 2026
>>>>      "In all my years covering conflicts in the Middle East, I've never
>>>>      before seen armed forces *deliberately* targeting children. But
>>>>      the receipts are there for all to see..."
>>>>
>>>>      What does "receipts" mean in this context? [...]
> 
> There's plenty of newspaper coverage of the UN report, but I don't think
> I've seen any verbatim quoting of what the UN person said. Thus, we
> can't tell whether he said "receipts" or that word turned up in
> second-hand reports.
> 
> My guess is that whoever said it was not a native speaker of English,
> who used a word that would have made sense in his own native language.


As far as I can see, all the examples on the Web are retweets (re-exes?) 
or the equivalent on other networks of some source that remains obscure.

I shelved my principles for a moment and put the question to Google's AI 
(what words in other languages sound like "receipts" in English), and it 
reminded me that 'récits' in French (stories, accounts) is pronounced 
quite like our 'receipts'. There are similar words in Spanish and 
Portuguese, it says.

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#1145804

Hibou <vpaereru-unmonitored@yahoo.com.invalid> wrote:

> Le 27/06/2026 à 06:47, Peter Moylan a écrit :
> >>> Steve Hayes posted:
> >>>>
> >>>> Receipts - English usage                            24 June 2026
> >>>>      "In all my years covering conflicts in the Middle East, I've never
> >>>>      before seen armed forces *deliberately* targeting children. But
> >>>>      the receipts are there for all to see..."
> >>>>
> >>>>      What does "receipts" mean in this context? [...]
> > 
> > There's plenty of newspaper coverage of the UN report, but I don't think
> > I've seen any verbatim quoting of what the UN person said. Thus, we
> > can't tell whether he said "receipts" or that word turned up in
> > second-hand reports.
> > 
> > My guess is that whoever said it was not a native speaker of English,
> > who used a word that would have made sense in his own native language.
> 
> 
> As far as I can see, all the examples on the Web are retweets (re-exes?)
> or the equivalent on other networks of some source that remains obscure.
> 
> I shelved my principles for a moment and put the question to Google's AI
> (what words in other languages sound like "receipts" in English), and it
> reminded me that 'récits' in French (stories, accounts) is pronounced
> quite like our 'receipts'. There are similar words in Spanish and 
> Portuguese, it says.

Seems a plausible explanation to me,

Jan

-- 
Encore vous gaulois ? Vous me dérangez dans mon ennui et dans mon repas.

- Ils ont démoli une maison,
  la porte de la prison et sept légionnaires !!

- Ce récit m'a presque amusé. C'est très bien, en récompense,
  je rends la liberté à ces deux gaulois !    (Gracchus Pleindastus)

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#1145849

 Ar an seachtú lá is fiche de mí Meitheamh, scríobh Hibou: 

 > Le 27/06/2026 à 06:47, Peter Moylan a écrit :
 > >>> Steve Hayes posted:
 > >>>>
 > >>>> Receipts - English usage                            24 June 2026

 > >>>>      "In all my years covering conflicts in the Middle East, I've never
 > >>>>      before seen armed forces *deliberately* targeting children. But
 > >>>>      the receipts are there for all to see..."
 > >>>>
 > >>>>      What does "receipts" mean in this context? [...]
 > >
 > > There's plenty of newspaper coverage of the UN report, but I don't think
 > > I've seen any verbatim quoting of what the UN person said. Thus, we
 > > can't tell whether he said "receipts" or that word turned up in
 > > second-hand reports.
 > >
 > > My guess is that whoever said it was not a native speaker of English,
 > > who used a word that would have made sense in his own native language.
 > 
 > As far as I can see, all the examples on the Web are retweets (re-exes?) or
 > the equivalent on other networks of some source that remains obscure.

I remember a US stand-up comic doing a bit at the time of the Iraq war, “of
course Saddam has weapons of mass destruction, we have the receipts [i.e. we
sold him them]!” I’d be surprised if it generalised from that but it’s
possible.

-- 
‘As I sat looking up at the Guinness ad, I could never figure out /
How your man stayed up on the surfboard after fourteen pints of stout’
(C. Moore)

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#1145875

On Sun, 28 Jun 2026 08:29:30 +0100, Aidan Kehoe <kehoea@parhasard.net>
wrote:

> > As far as I can see, all the examples on the Web are retweets (re-exes?) or
> > the equivalent on other networks of some source that remains obscure.
>
>I remember a US stand-up comic doing a bit at the time of the Iraq war, “of
>course Saddam has weapons of mass destruction, we have the receipts [i.e. we
>sold him them]!” I’d be surprised if it generalised from that but it’s
>possible.

I wouldn't be at all surprised.

It sounds like just the kind if thing it might have been generalised
from. 


-- 
Steve Hayes from Tshwane, South Africa
Web:  http://www.khanya.org.za/stevesig.htm
Blog: http://methodius.blogspot.com
E-mail - see web page, or parse: shayes at dunelm full stop org full stop uk

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#1145810

On Sat, 27 Jun 2026 15:47:35 +1000, Peter Moylan wrote:

> There's plenty of newspaper coverage of the UN report, but I don't think
> I've seen any verbatim quoting of what the UN person said. Thus, we
> can't tell whether he said "receipts" or that word turned up in
> second-hand reports.
> 
> My guess is that whoever said it was not a native speaker of English,
> who used a word that would have made sense in his own native language.

If you consider Americans having English as native language, this is a 
quote from MTN, an American YT channel.

<https://podcasts.happyscribe.com/the-meidastouch-podcast/26-87cb8c23-bceb-410b-ab50-7abd10788e90#t2711-55>

<quote>

I'll show you the receipts here.

</quote>

-- 
s|b

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#1145817

On Sat, 27 Jun 2026 15:47:35 +1000, Peter Moylan <peter@pmoylan.org>
wrote:

>On 27/06/26 04:17, Hibou wrote:
>> Le 26/06/2026 à 16:01, athel.cb@gmail.com a écrit :
>>> Steve Hayes <hayesstw@telkomsa.net> posted:
>>>>
>>>> Receipts - English usage                            24 June 2026
>>>>      "In all my years covering conflicts in the Middle East, I've never
>>>>      before seen armed forces *deliberately* targeting children. But
>>>>      the receipts are there for all to see..."
>>>>
>>>>      What does "receipts" mean in this context?
>>>
>>> Who are you replying to? If it's some nutter then "receipts" could mean
>>> anything.
>>
>> Google Web Search finds numerous examples of "But the receipts are
>> there for all to see" on Twitter (X), Instagram, and other antisocial
>>  networks, and, as far as I can see, none elsewhere. I think I'd
>> write this use of 'receipts' off as random noise - or deliberate
>> misquotation in order to stir it by someone who is not a native
>> English speaker - or as a transcription error if the original was
>> spoken. I can't think what the original might be, though.
>
>There's plenty of newspaper coverage of the UN report, but I don't think
>I've seen any verbatim quoting of what the UN person said. Thus, we
>can't tell whether he said "receipts" or that word turned up in
>second-hand reports.
>
>My guess is that whoever said it was not a native speaker of English,
>who used a word that would have made sense in his own native language.

Peter, you seem to making a mistake that is surprising for you to
make.

In the US the word "receipts" has been used with the meaning "evidence
or proof at hand" for several years.  The usage - as in your quote -
would cause no notice to many US readers.

Evidently, it has not been used in that way in OZ or appeared in your
view, so you think it's a mistake or a translation error.  "Foreign
word" and "foreign to me" are not the same thing.


I can't tell you when I first came across it in this type of context,
but it was several years ago.  Evidently, the entire context made the
speaker/writer's meaning clear to me because I never questioned it or
had to look it up.  

When a politician (it seems to be most used by that lot) says "My
opponent is crooked, and I have the receipts!", I know he/she is not
talking about small bits of paper acknowledging payment.  

When Amy Klobucher said she was the only candidate on the 2020 debate
stage that had the receipts, I knew she wasn't claiming to have a
handbag full of paper acknowledging that she'd paid her rent.

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#1145825

In article <lfpv3ltg5v5brql4489a2dpb49kf6r5f57@4ax.com>,
Tony Cooper  <tonycooper214@gmail.com> wrote:

>In the US the word "receipts" has been used with the meaning "evidence
>or proof at hand" for several years.  The usage - as in your quote -
>would cause no notice to many US readers.

I've never come across it in Britain, though it seems a perfectly
plausible metaphor.

-- Richard

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#1145829

Richard Tobin <richard@cogsci.ed.ac.uk> wrote:

> In article <lfpv3ltg5v5brql4489a2dpb49kf6r5f57@4ax.com>,
> Tony Cooper  <tonycooper214@gmail.com> wrote:
> 
> >In the US the word "receipts" has been used with the meaning "evidence
> >or proof at hand" for several years.  The usage - as in your quote -
> >would cause no notice to many US readers.
> 
> I've never come across it in Britain, though it seems a perfectly
> plausible metaphor.

I've used something similar when explaining the provenance of expensive
or desirable items  e.g. "Yes, they are mine and I've got the receipt to
prove it."

(This has also been used humourously in the context of a well-endowed
woman.)


-- 
~ Liz Tuddenham ~
(Remove the ".invalid"s and add ".co.uk" to reply)
www.poppyrecords.co.uk

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#1145832

On 28/06/26 04:49, Richard Tobin wrote:
> In article <lfpv3ltg5v5brql4489a2dpb49kf6r5f57@4ax.com>, Tony Cooper
> <tonycooper214@gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> In the US the word "receipts" has been used with the meaning
>> "evidence or proof at hand" for several years.  The usage - as in
>> your quote - would cause no notice to many US readers.
>
> I've never come across it in Britain, though it seems a perfectly
> plausible metaphor.

Interesting. So it's a known meaning in AmE, but was a mystery to the
rest of us. A good example of American usage that, for some reason,
never crossed the oceans.

-- 
Peter Moylan       peter@pmoylan.org    http://www.pmoylan.org
Newcastle, NSW

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#1145844

Le 28/06/2026 à 02:21, Peter Moylan a écrit :
> On 28/06/26 04:49, Richard Tobin wrote:
>> Tony Cooper wrote:
>>>
>>> In the US the word "receipts" has been used with the meaning
>>> "evidence or proof at hand" for several years.  The usage - as in
>>> your quote - would cause no notice to many US readers.
>>
>> I've never come across it in Britain, though it seems a perfectly
>> plausible metaphor.
> 
> Interesting. So it's a known meaning in AmE, but was a mystery to the
> rest of us. A good example of American usage that, for some reason,
> never crossed the oceans.


An example of American usage that, for good reasons, never crossed the 
oceans? (I'm afraid I find it non-obvious as a metaphor, and no 
improvement on 'evidence'.)

Anyway, it's in the M-W:

<https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/receipt> :

"'However, it was just a few weeks earlier that the reality star was 
crushing on another lovely lady … and we've got the receipts to prove it!'"

('Crushing' seems odd here, even if the reality star was overweight.)

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#1145848

On 28/06/2026 6:49 a.m., Richard Tobin wrote:
> In article <lfpv3ltg5v5brql4489a2dpb49kf6r5f57@4ax.com>,
> Tony Cooper  <tonycooper214@gmail.com> wrote:
> 
>> In the US the word "receipts" has been used with the meaning "evidence
>> or proof at hand" for several years.  The usage - as in your quote -
>> would cause no notice to many US readers.
> 
> I've never come across it in Britain, though it seems a perfectly
> plausible metaphor.
> 
> -- Richard
> 

I don't think I'd ever heard it before, but I was in no doubt about its 
meaning and origin when I saw it here. "Receipts" are such a common and 
crucial type of evidence in cases where someone is accused of receiving 
stolen goods, misappropriation of public funds, etc. A proper receipt 
will show not only that you bought it, but when, where, for how much, 
and from whom.

I'd guess the generalization is of fairly recent origin. OED has not 
picked it up yet. But googling something like "have the receipts" brings 
up plenty of live examples, some of which might be datable.

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#1145864

Le 28/06/2026 à 07:57, Ross Clark a écrit :
> 
> I don't think I'd ever heard it before, but I was in no doubt about its 
> meaning and origin when I saw it here. "Receipts" are such a common and 
> crucial type of evidence in cases where someone is accused of receiving 
> stolen goods, misappropriation of public funds, etc. A proper receipt 
> will show not only that you bought it, but when, where, for how much, 
> and from whom. [...]


The meaning was deducible from context, but the choice of word looked 
like an error. Better the mot juste, in this case 'evidence'; better 
plain English than a limping attempt at decoration.

Anyway, when buying a new metaphor it's wise to keep the receipt. Then 
if it doesn't suit, you can return it for a refund.

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