Hi this is Tutor Nick P and this is Noun Phrase 104. The Noun Phrase today is
one-armed bandit. Okay. Now of course when we say the word armed, armed means like you
have a weapon. That you're going to rob somebody.
So let's take a look the note here. The most common meaning in American English
for a one-armed bandit actually means a slot machine. Like you know, the
ones that you go to in a casino. Ones where you put the coins in and you know,
you're pulling ... you pull a handle down and if you're lucky you know, maybe you
have a you know , a matching symbols come up and then you'll hear a ding, ding , ding...
And you you win some coins. It sounds very exciting . If you are lucky . If
you want a lot to begin with you know, they always say take the money and run.
Because if you keep playing you'll probably give a lot back. Because usually
the machines generally are set to take a lot more from you than you end up. Giving
it to it. So if you play long enough even if you win for a while it may it may
take a lot back, before , before you're out of there it may take all of it back. But
let's continue here. It is interesting to note that the British refer to this as a
fruit machine. Yeah , the first time I heard this a fruit machine ? Is that a
machine that sells fruit ? No but obviously you know, especially the early
slot machines and there are still many today you know, they originally had fruit like
if we got three cherries in a row. You know, if it all matched. Then it you got
three grapes or something. So I guess that's why the British, the British
actually refer to it as a fruit machine. But when Americans first hear
that they , they won't think of a slot machine. But, anyway let's continue. Of
course the reason this is called a one-armed bandit is because a slot
machine has one long handle that resembles an arm. Yeah that's the one you
pull down. So it looks like it has like one arm standing up and that's the
handle that you pull after you put the coins in. So the thing goes around and
hopefully you would win money. For anyone who has played a slot machine long
enough, it feels like it robs your money. So
that's the idea of a bandit. Remember a a bandit is a thief. So let's continue
here. The word, a bandit. by itself, refers to a thief that robs travelers, especially a
member of a gang. Yeah. A lot of those old cowboy movies or even earlier than that
you know, the people that would rob like a a stagecoach along the road. We often
refer to that as a bandit. Sometimes trains too. Okay good. The word slot is used
in the word slot used in slot machine that's with a long thin hole where you
actually put coins. So that's why it's called a slot machine. Even though other
types of ... all vending machines have a slot too. Even phone where you put the coins
and that's also a slot. So any of those long thin hole openings we put the coins
in is slot . So that time slot machine got its name. All right so the word slot is
used slot machine because a slot is a long thin hole in which you put the
coins, Okay . I hope you got it. I hope was clear thank you for your time. Bye-
bye,