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Minnaloushe Posted 12 years ago
Vocabulary

Fork over a couple of Jacksons

I am reading a thread on another forum about clampdown corruption in Mexico. Here's a snippet.

Mexico cracks down on corruption Mexico City has begun using close-circuit television cameras on city corners to crack down on police and beaurocrats who take bribes.
An American forumite commented, "...Well. As I travel in Mexico occasionally (I live 50 miles from the border) I find the corrupt cops a comfort. How much easier it is to fork over a couple of Jacksons that go to court on a speeding or 'being an American in public' ticket. "

What does "Jacksons" refer to?

What does "being an American in public" mean?

Thanks!
  

Top answer

Jackson is pictured on the US $20 bill. "Being an American in public" probably refers to the idea that just obviously being an American is enough to get one charged with something in a particularly hostile atmosphere. The concept is used in the US in other situation: DWI (driving while intoxicated) has been used to refer to police hostility toward African-Americans (DWB = driving while black).

— Philip

  • Jackson is pictured on the US $20 bill.
  • "Being an American in public" probably refers to the idea that just obviously being an American is enough to get one charged with something in a particularly hostile atmosphere.
  • The concept is used in the US in other situation: DWI (driving while intoxicated) has been used to refer to police hostility toward African-Americans (DWB = driving while black).
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2 Answers
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Jackson is pictured on the US $20 bill. "Being an American in public" probably refers to the idea that just obviously being an American is enough to get one charged with something in a particularly hostile atmosphere. The concept is used in the US in other situation: DWI (driving while intoxicated) has been used to refer to police hostility toward African-Americans (DWB = driving while black).
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My buddy got a dubious traffic ticket, and I told him he'd been busted for DWB. I was surprised to learn that he didn't know what that was. He thought it was quite funny when I explained it, though.
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