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Re: Receipts

From Ross Clark <benlizro@ihug.co.nz>
Newsgroups alt.usage.english, alt.english.usage
Subject Re: Receipts
Date 2026-06-28 18:57 +1200
Organization A noiseless patient Spider
Message-ID <111qgln$3eu94$1@dont-email.me> (permalink)
References <1u4t3llcnnmpq5r1bjn9tnujqb0ckdplst@4ax.com> <na7u1aFks37U2@mid.individual.net> <111no5r$12afu$1@dont-email.me> <lfpv3ltg5v5brql4489a2dpb49kf6r5f57@4ax.com> <111p602$i3jg$1@artemis.inf.ed.ac.uk>

Cross-posted to 2 groups.

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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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Thread

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 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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