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Anonymous Posted 14 years ago
Vocabulary

Ribcage-busting

Hi,

"Less ribcage-busting is the matter of how the Met decided that the way to treat an employee widely suspected of being a habitual criminal was not to make any attempt to bang him up for a long time; but to wave him off to sunny Spain with a pension luxuriously padded by you and me?" [From The Independent.]

Does "less ribcage-busting" mean 'being less proud of'?

Thank you.
  

Top answer

It seems to mean 'beating up', 'physically assaulting'.

— Mister Micawber

  • It seems to mean 'beating up', 'physically assaulting'.
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6 Answers
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It seems to mean 'beating up', 'physically assaulting'.
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Thank you, MM, for your useful reply.
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It's an odd way of saying "less funny." Like gut-busting or side-splitting, I think ribcage-busting refers to laughter - but is not a super common expression for it.
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'Laughing' is the way to treat a suspected criminal?!
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Looking at the original article, it is presented as being a contrast to a joke:

Yates has left the Yard over more recent examples of a laissez-faire approach than those involving Mr Davidson, and now supplements his pension by advising the police force of Bahrain – where else? – on human rights. Mr Davidson, meanwhile, departed for the sunshine back in 1998 (perhaps he hadn't turne
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Ah, good! Thanks for posting the context.
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