# How I pawned a "lady" who was bitching out a grocery store clerk **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [May 5, 2011, 5:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-i-pawned-a-lady-who-was-bitching-out-a-grocery-store-clerk/580817 "2011-05-05T05:41:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Attack\_from\_the\_3rd\_dimension](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b38774/32.png) [@Attack\_from\_the\_3rd\_dimension](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Attack_from_the_3rd_dimension)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2011, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-i-pawned-a-lady-who-was-bitching-out-a-grocery-store-clerk/580817/41 "2011-05-06T14:44:41Z")
Und get off ov my lawn. ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2011, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-i-pawned-a-lady-who-was-bitching-out-a-grocery-store-clerk/580817/42 "2011-05-06T14:48:40Z")
They weirded out the bitchy customer enough to make her shut up and leave. That’s a win in my book! ---
**Author:** ![gnoitall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bb73d2/32.png) [@gnoitall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gnoitall)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2011, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-i-pawned-a-lady-who-was-bitching-out-a-grocery-store-clerk/580817/43 "2011-05-06T15:22:09Z")
> [@Rigamarole](#): > > The word you are looking for is “pwned” (pronounced like “owned” but with a p in front). “Pawned” implies you sold the lady off for a fraction of her value so you could afford to buy one more hit of crack on the street corner. I always thought “pawned” should legitimately be an intensification of “pwned”; “pwned” to an extreme degree. The hierarchy would be: “owned”: I took possession of the subject. “pwned”: I **really** mercilessly seized the subject against active resistance. “pawned”: I crushed the subject’s resistance, ruthlessly and absolutely captured the subject, and then sold it off cheaply in order to demonstrate my disdain and low regard for it. ETA: I see that **Tahssa** [above](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=13767303&postcount=28) has the same idea. ---
**Author:** ![gnoitall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bb73d2/32.png) [@gnoitall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gnoitall)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2011, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-i-pawned-a-lady-who-was-bitching-out-a-grocery-store-clerk/580817/44 "2011-05-06T15:32:53Z")
> [@Living\_Well\_Is\_Best\_Revenge](#): > > Count me in with those who don’t understand how this lady was “owned” or “pawned” or whatever it is the cool kids say. If I was the store manager, I’d be more apt to throw out the people singing than a bitchy customer. Think about it this way. A bitchy, irrational, borderline-psycho customer abusing the system and the staff in a checkout line is wrong. A pair of random weirdos\* singing a paean to an ancient god of death and horror at the top of their lungs is wrong. While two wrongs cannot make a right, sometimes they make a hilarious. That, and the fact that douchebag customer fled the field of combat, is how and why the “lady” was “pawned”. (See previous post about the intensity hierarchy of “owned” and you’ll see that “pawned” is, in fact, appropriate.) \*No offense intended, **flatlined**. Both the described act itself and the mere fact of active SDMB membership are pretty clear evidence of this on your part. ---
**Author:** ![classyladyhp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b5ac83/32.png) [@classyladyhp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/classyladyhp)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2011, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-i-pawned-a-lady-who-was-bitching-out-a-grocery-store-clerk/580817/45 "2011-05-06T15:34:11Z")
I don’t find anything about what you guys did to the lady funny at all. ---
**Author:** ![BellRungBookShut-CandleSnuffed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bcef8e/32.png) [@BellRungBookShut-CandleSnuffed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BellRungBookShut-CandleSnuffed)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2011, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-i-pawned-a-lady-who-was-bitching-out-a-grocery-store-clerk/580817/46 "2011-05-06T16:06:00Z")
> [@classyladyhp](#): > > I don’t find anything about what you guys did to the lady funny at all. Because the song was lame, or because the woman wasn’t deserving? I don’t think the song was “funny” per se, but it’s pretty funny that she got annoyed after being clueless at best or entitled at worst about how coupons work. ---
**Author:** ![dhkendall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a9adbd/32.png) [@dhkendall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dhkendall)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2011, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-i-pawned-a-lady-who-was-bitching-out-a-grocery-store-clerk/580817/47 "2011-05-06T16:20:37Z")
> [@gnoitall](#): > > “pawned”: I crushed the subject’s resistance, ruthlessly and absolutely captured the subject, and then sold it off cheaply in order to demonstrate my disdain and low regard for it. In other words, just like Chthulhu? ---
**Author:** ![Regallag\_The\_Axe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/regallag_the_axe/32/445_2.png) [@Regallag\_The\_Axe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Regallag_The_Axe)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2011, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-i-pawned-a-lady-who-was-bitching-out-a-grocery-store-clerk/580817/48 "2011-05-06T17:04:45Z")
I must listen to that song until I have the words memorized. ---
**Author:** ![cosmosdan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a6a055/32.png) [@cosmosdan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cosmosdan)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2011, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-i-pawned-a-lady-who-was-bitching-out-a-grocery-store-clerk/580817/49 "2011-05-06T18:31:31Z")
> [@Sierra\_Indigo](#): > > Onya flatlined 😃 Pawned or pwned, she got exactly what she deserved. 2nded. Worked in retail a lot and nave little patience for entitled angry customers who think they should be able to change policy to suit themselves, or that just bitching loudly is a sure fire way to get what you want. It’s nice for the employees who are instructed to be restrained when other customers take over. Quite the unique manner as well. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![cosmosdan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a6a055/32.png) [@cosmosdan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cosmosdan)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2011, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-i-pawned-a-lady-who-was-bitching-out-a-grocery-store-clerk/580817/50 "2011-05-06T18:41:22Z")
> [@BrotherCadfael](#): > > I must confess to being baffled as to how the OP “pawned” this woman. She’s being obnoxious to the clerk, and two guys in line behind her start singing some random song that has absolutely nothing whatsoever to do with the situation? Yeah, OK, she gets annoyed, but so what? The beauty of it is , rather than address the lady directly and tell her she’s being an unreasonable pain in the ass, they just start singing something really bizarre. She obviously knows it’s her bad behavior that prompted it, regardless of lyrics. I think the could have sung just about anything. The Beatles “All you Need is love” or anything and she would have been pissed but his choice was not only bizarre but cool because of the other person joining in. I wish I’d been there. ---
**Author:** ![cosmosdan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a6a055/32.png) [@cosmosdan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cosmosdan)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2011, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-i-pawned-a-lady-who-was-bitching-out-a-grocery-store-clerk/580817/51 "2011-05-06T18:43:19Z")
> [@classyladyhp](#): > > I don’t find anything about what you guys did to the lady funny at all. You pull the crap that lady did all the time don’t you? Where do you shop? I’ll start shopping there in hopes a live demo will clarify it for you. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2011, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-i-pawned-a-lady-who-was-bitching-out-a-grocery-store-clerk/580817/52 "2011-05-06T18:45:01Z")
When I had a very similar episode, I loudly asked the cashier how late they were open (I was next in line with 5 more behind me). She told me 11 pm. It was currently 5 pm. My follow up question, “Think I’ll make it?” raised laughs from those behind me. ---
**Author:** ![cosmosdan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a6a055/32.png) [@cosmosdan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cosmosdan)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2011, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-i-pawned-a-lady-who-was-bitching-out-a-grocery-store-clerk/580817/53 "2011-05-06T18:54:26Z")
> [@PlainJain](#): > > Same here. The fact that two random people have even heard of this song, let alone have the words memorized, is beyond belief frankly. And even if so, why would the woman care? I think she probably knew she was behaving badly and knew the bizarre song was for her sake. Imagine some irate privileged customer , knowing she was holding up the line, and people just start singing and smiling at her. She knows the real message is “you’re being an ass” ---
**Author:** ![cosmosdan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a6a055/32.png) [@cosmosdan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cosmosdan)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2011, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-i-pawned-a-lady-who-was-bitching-out-a-grocery-store-clerk/580817/54 "2011-05-06T18:56:18Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > When I had a very similar episode, I loudly asked the cashier how late they were open (I was next in line with 5 more behind me). She told me 11 pm. It was currently 5 pm. My follow up question, “Think I’ll make it?” raised laughs from those behind me. LOL!! was it in any way effective? ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2011, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-i-pawned-a-lady-who-was-bitching-out-a-grocery-store-clerk/580817/55 "2011-05-06T19:01:34Z")
> [@cosmosdan](#): > > LOL!! was it in any way effective? Customer remained clueless. Everyone else had a laugh, cashier included. ---
**Author:** ![cosmosdan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a6a055/32.png) [@cosmosdan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cosmosdan)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2011, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-i-pawned-a-lady-who-was-bitching-out-a-grocery-store-clerk/580817/56 "2011-05-06T19:59:38Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > Customer remained clueless. Everyone else had a laugh, cashier included. Well I had a laugh as well. Thanks. I used to instruct my cashiers to not let customers engage them in lengthy questions when people are waiting in line to check out. The cash register is for paying ,and the other staff is for questions, but you can’t avoid it all the time. ---
**Author:** ![SecretaryofEvil](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e95f7d/32.png) [@SecretaryofEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SecretaryofEvil)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2011, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-i-pawned-a-lady-who-was-bitching-out-a-grocery-store-clerk/580817/57 "2011-05-06T21:09:45Z")
> [@Rigamarole](#): > > The word you are looking for is “pwned” (pronounced like “owned” but with a p in front). “Pawned” implies you sold the lady off for a fraction of her value so you could afford to buy one more hit of crack on the street corner. Actually, pawned implies that he received a loan using the lady as collateral. pwned 😃 ---
**Author:** ![surrounded\_by\_literalists](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8baadc/32.png) [@surrounded\_by\_literalists](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/surrounded_by_literalists)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2011, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-i-pawned-a-lady-who-was-bitching-out-a-grocery-store-clerk/580817/58 "2011-05-06T21:42:51Z")
Are people taking you literally, Flatlined? \ ---
**Author:** ![VinylTurnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2011, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-i-pawned-a-lady-who-was-bitching-out-a-grocery-store-clerk/580817/59 "2011-05-06T21:54:44Z")
Never heard of the song. I was hoping you’d Rickrolled her. ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Borgia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/larry_borgia/32/156_2.png) [@Larry\_Borgia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Borgia)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2011, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-i-pawned-a-lady-who-was-bitching-out-a-grocery-store-clerk/580817/60 "2011-05-06T22:05:20Z")
I wish I’d been there. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-i-pawned-a-lady-who-was-bitching-out-a-grocery-store-clerk/580817.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-i-pawned-a-lady-who-was-bitching-out-a-grocery-store-clerk/580817.md?page=4)