At a party the other night, a guest expressed relief that none of us were cheesy enough to yell “Taxi!” when someone dropped a martini glass. What were they referring to?
Only thing I can think of is an implication that the glass-dropper is too drunk to drive.
When people yell “Taxi!” after someone breaks a cocktail glass, I think the implication is “You’ve had too much to drink and shouldn’t drive home, so I’m calling a taxi for you.”
I thought it was along the lines of “Oops, something bad happened, I gotta get outta here.”
Similar to “Check please!”
This is my understanding of the phrase in this context too. It’s also used here when people knock over their beer or drink, regardless of whether or not they break the glass.