# Dirty Pool

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dirty-pool/549725>\
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\
**Created:** [August 9, 2010, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dirty-pool/549725 "2010-08-09T16:47:49Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\
**Post date:** [August 9, 2010, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dirty-pool/549725/1 "2010-08-09T16:47:49Z")

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I almost used this expression in an ongoing thread as a response to signify “bad move” or “nasty trick” or words to that effect.

I didn’t use it (didn’t even reply at all – just came here with this idea) because I was curious if it might suggest a swimming pool in dire need of a cleaning.

My memory of it was in pool (the billiards type) there were ways to cheat or get an advantage that was deemed “dirty pool.” I can’t remember any of them offhand. Thus this thread.

Did you use the term for such a meaning? Ever hear it used that way?

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**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\
**Post date:** [August 9, 2010, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dirty-pool/549725/2 "2010-08-09T16:58:08Z")

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It generally means something underhanded, and I’ve always taken it to come from billiards.

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**Author:** ![Bosstone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/22d042/32.png) [@Bosstone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosstone)\
**Post date:** [August 9, 2010, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dirty-pool/549725/3 "2010-08-09T17:15:44Z")

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Dirty pool, bad form, not cool bro, all pretty much means the same. It’s not exactly _cheating_, but it’s not exactly _sportsmanlike_ either. I’m fairly sure it does come from the tabletop game, but it’s surprisingly tough to find an authoritative kind of cite.

ETA: Aha, [Google Books to the rescue](http://books.google.com/books?id=7-Y7EvhyQ7oC&pg=PA202&lpg=PA202&dq=dirty+pool+origin&source=bl&ots=0paGJlFP--&sig=jjHVywue61uKzRbB21lq-LXC99Y&hl=en&ei=rjdgTI6EMsG88gbj27nCDQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=10&ved=0CDMQ6AEwCTgK#v=onepage&q=dirty%20pool%20origin&f=false).

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**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\
**Post date:** [August 9, 2010, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dirty-pool/549725/4 "2010-08-09T17:23:28Z")

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Thanks to you both, **twickster** and **Bosstone** , for confirming it’s not just a regional term.

I wish I could recall what it was I used to try to get past Ben Chen (Chinese classmate) who was as close to a pool shark as we had at the Y. Whatever it was, he was always saying “dirty pool” almost every time I shot. Hell, I had to do something! He was too good.