Letters to WB

"Vigorish"

Dear WB:

I've been trying to find the derivation of the rare word "vigorish," but I haven't been able to do so. Something in the back of my head tells me that it is from the Yiddish, but I certainly haven't been able to confirm this. Can you help me?

Thanks for your assistance,
Harvey A. Immerman

The term "vigorish" applies to the "tribute" (more properly "extortion") paid to organized crime bosses by subordinate gangsters and businesses operating under their "protection." It derives from the Russian "vyigrysh," meaning "winnings" or "profit from gambling," and was brought to America early in the 20th century by speakers of Yiddish.

A Horse a Piece

Dear WB:

I spent the weekend with my sisters and mother and someone voiced, "It's a horse a piece." Susan said, "I've heard two of you use that phrase now. What does that really mean?" We all looked at each other for a long minute and said, "Well, what DOES that mean?" Please elucidate.

With gratitude,
Christine Aalto Jaeger

All I have been able to find out is that this expression is used in Wisconsin and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. It means that neither of two alternatives is better or worse than the other. It's another way of saying "Six of one, half dozen of the other."

I haven't been able to discover how it came into being.

S. D. Liddiard, Origins Guy