Revision 555527169 of "Dibs" on enwiki

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{{About|the cultural convention|the Arab sweet|Pekmez}}
Calling "'''''dibs'''''" is an informal convention where one declares a first claim to something to which no individual has any clearly recognized right. Calling "'''''dibs'''''" is only possible, when the caller is fit and able to take care of the claim. Such a declaration is often recognized in certain cultures, or sub-cultures, as a means to avoid arguments over relatively trivial issues.

Calling "'''dibs'''" cannot be called in advance of a relatively trival matter.

== Etymology ==
One theory for the origin of the word comes from markings made with chalk on the back of livestock up for sale in cattle yards throughout the southern states of the USA. Each potential customer would register their unique mark with a registrar at the meet, who would record this information in a "Dealer Identification Book". These books themselves came to be known collectively as DIBS. This is unlikely, as attempts to define old words and terms by reference to an [[acronym]] are generally false, due to the fact that acronyms themselves are of fairly recent invention.



The 1967 edition of ''Dictionary of American Slang'' states that the word "dibs" comes from the verb ''to divvy'' or divide something.  

Another possible origin for the word can be found in ''Webster's Dictionary'', Second Edition, dated 1937, in which the term "dibs" refers to jacks, an old children's game played a small ball and a set of jackstones or dibstones.

Essentially, "to dib" as a verb has to do with "looking down, bending down, or delving into water".<ref>{{cite book |last=Olmert |first=Michael |year=1996 |title=Milton's Teeth and Ovid's Umbrella: Curiouser & Curiouser Adventures in History |page=246 |publisher=Simon & Schuster |location=New York |isbn=0-684-80164-7}}</ref>

==Usage and equivalent words==
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In [[Boston]], [[Chicago]] and [[Pittsburgh]], "dibs" also refers to the practice of [[Parking chair|holding a shoveled-out parking space after a heavy snowfall]] by putting chairs, laundry baskets, or other items in the street to mark the claimed space.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://blogs.chicagotribune.com/news_columnists_ezorn/2005/12/no_one_seems_to.html |archiveurl=http://wayback.archive.org/web/20060901071726/http://blogs.chicagotribune.com/news_columnists_ezorn/2005/12/no_one_seems_to.html |archivedate=2006-09-01 |dealurl=no |title=No one seems to have dibs on word's origins |first=Eric |last=Zorn |publisher=Chicago Tribune |date=December 15, 2005}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.law.uchicago.edu/files/files/134.RAE_.Parking.pdf |title=The Allocation of the Commons: Parking and Stopping on the Commons |first=Richard A |last=Epstein |publisher=University of Chicago School of Law |date=August 2001}}</ref>

In [[Austria]], the word "geschützt" is used, meaning "protected" (from others) or "kept" (for me). Especially in western Austria,the word "Meins" ("It's all mine!") is also used.

In [[Argentina]] and Uruguay, the phrase "canté pri" ("pri" being short for "primero"), first one to ask for it, is used with this meaning by children.

In [[Brazil]], the words "''primeiro''", "''primeirinho''" ("the first one" or "the little first one" in Portuguese) "''meu''", and "''minha''" ("mine" in Portuguese) are used in the same way. 

In [[Colombia]], the equivalent for dibs would be "''me lo pido''", which means "I ask for it".

In [[Denmark]], the equivalent for dibs is "''Helle''", which means "refuge". "Shotgun" and "Dibs" are also used.

In [[Europe]]an [[Francophony]], the word "''prems''" or "''preums''" (shortcut of "''premier''" which means "first") is commonly used for that. One might say "''deuz''" (shortcut of "''deuxième''" which means "second") to claim second on something, if someone has already claimed "preum". On the contrary, some people used to say "''der''" (short for "''dernier''", meaning "last". "Der" Comes from "dix de der", the last round of the "''Belote''" card game, which gave ten additional points to the winner of this last round.).

In [[Germany]], the equivalent for dibs is "''Erster''" (meaning "first one") or "''meins''" (meaning "it's mine").

In [[Greece]], the word "πρω" (pro), the first syllable of the word "πρώτος" (first), is used.

In [[Guatemala]], the equivalent for dibs is "''Primas''" or "''Voy Primas''", which means "I go first" in colloquial language.

In [[Hungary]], equivalents for dibs are "''stipistop''", "''stip-stop''" and "''stipistopi''". They come from the English word "stop".

In [[Iceland]], the equivalent for dibs is "''Pant''", short for "''Ég panta''", or "I order" in English. However, the word "Dibs" is used frequently in common speech, especially amongst young men.{{Citation needed|date=January 2012}}

In [[Indonesia]], [[Singapore]] and [[Malaysia]], the equivalent for dibs is "''choup''", "''chop''" or simply "''chup''" in the countries' respective informal Melayu language. The word corresponds to the act of stamping or branding something. In calling "chup", one stakes claim by attempting to be the first to "stamp" one's name on the object.

In [[Tamil Nadu]], [[India]], the equivalent for dibs is "Amukkam" (meaning "thats frozen").

In [[Iran]], the equivalent for dibs is "Aval" (meaning "first").

In [[Ireland]] , ''bagsie'' is normally used.

In [[Israel]], both dibs and shotgun are used as in American English. The Hebrew words "ראשון" (first) and "שלי" (mine) and the phrase "אני מזמין" (I order) are also used to call dibs, mostly by children.

In [[Italy]], the equivalent for dibs is "''mio''" or "''primo''", meaning "mine" and "first", respectively. On the contrary, "ultimo" (meaning "last", mainly used in children games as last to try or to choose).

In [[Kosovo]], the equivalent for dibs is "mos e prek - UCK" (meaning don't touch it - KLA), used after the war, meaning I have first claimed it and I am the toughest.

In [[Albania]], "e zura" (meaning "I occupied it").

In [[South Korea]], the equivalent for dibs is "찜" (zzim), meaning "I got that".

In [[Mexico]], the word "''pido''" (I ask) or "''primis''" (first) is commonly used by children to the same effect.

In [[Netherlands]] the equivalent for dibs is "buut" (nowadays most commonly used during [[hide-and-seek]] to call someone who has been found 'out' at the base). Dibs is gaining ground in universities in Holland due to the large number of students watching series.

In [[Flanders]], ([[Belgium]]) there is no direct translation, but "pot!" is sometimes used in the same way. "Dibs" is gaining popularity, especially among young people.

In [[Nepal]], the equivalent for dibs is "''Mero''", short for "''Tyo mero ho''" or "This is mine" in English. This is commonly used among young people.

In [[Norway]] the equivalent for dibs is "''fus''"<ref>http://www.nob-ordbok.uio.no/perl/ordbok.cgi?OPP=fus&begge=+&ordbok=bokmaal</ref> (a dialect not used in the West), which means "first". Sometimes the word "''fritt''", meaning "free", is also used in a situation where you want to claim something. "Dibs" is also used.

In [[Peru]] the equivalent for dibs is "¡primi! (a diminutive for "primero") first one to ask for it, is used with this meaning by children.

In [[Poland]], the equivalent for dibs is "''rezerwuję''", "''zaklepuję''"/"''zaklepane''" (colloquial) or "''zamawiam''" (rather childish use) which means "I reserve".

In [[Portugal]], children say "primeiro", older people say "dibs". Some other words may be used depending in the region.

In [[Quebec]], the equivalent for dibs would be "''Shotgun''". Shotgun, often shortened to "shot", is also used in other parts of Canada for calling front passenger seat in a car, only while being in site of the vehicle. 

In [[Russia]]n speaking countries, the equivalent is "''Чур моё''", which means "mind you it's mine", or more recently "Забито" (loosely translated as "claimed").

In [[Spain]], the equivalent for dibs is "''prímer''" or "''primero''" (meaning "first") or "''Me pido X/Me lo pido''" (meaning "I ask for something/I ask for it").

In [[Sweden]], the equivalent for dibs is "''Pax''", which means "peace" in Latin, although "''etta vara''" and "''etta få''", which basically means "I call first to be..." and "I call first to have..." (literally "number one to be/have"), are also commonly used. Conversely, one may dib oneself out of a chore not yet assigned by saying "''etta inte jag''" ("''I call first not to be me''"). This continues with "''tvåa inte jag''" ("''I call second not to be me''") until there is only one person remaining, to whom the chore is then assigned. "Shotgun" and "Dibs" are also used.

In the [[United Kingdom]], [[Ireland]], [[New Zealand]], and [[Australia]], "bags", "tax", "shotgun" or "bagsie" – or variants including "begsie" and "bugsy" – is used for the same effect. Bagsie is most commonly used by children. The Australian use of "shotgun" (or "shotty" for short) as well as calling "jenga" has started to popularize in recent years. "Dibs" is also used, but to a lesser extent due to American influence. "Bagsie" ,or "bags", started out as "Bags I", according to the [[Oxford English Dictionary]], which started giving school-related examples since 1866. Similarly, ''bag'' or ''bags'' can be used informally as a verb, meaning ''claim'' in a phrase like "I'll bag the best seats". This is related to the expression "to bag", meaning "to put something in a bag".

==In media==
References to the word "dibs" are seen near the end of "[[The Nerdvana Annihilation]]", in the beginning of the "[[The Rothman Disintegration]]", in "The Staircase Implementation" and in "The Tangible Affection Proof" - four episodes of ''[[The Big Bang Theory]]''. In [[The Nerdvana Annihilation]], the character [[Rajesh Koothrapali]], after calling dibs on a much-desired movie prop, responds to [[Howard Wolowitz]]'s claim that he can't call dibs by telling him that he can and if he doesn't believe him he should "look it up on Wikipedia".

Also, in ''[[How I Met Your Mother]]'' the five main characters often call the dibs, especially [[Barney Stinson]], who uses it when it comes to girls.

== See also ==
* [[Riding shotgun]]

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==
*{{wiktionary-inline}}

[[Category:American cultural conventions]]