you the one to talk

[XINLAI-UE]

Hi,

I was wondering if anybody could take a look for me at this sentence-"you the one to talk", I can not get this one, what does it mean in this context?

Thanks for your help.


D: Seen a lot of rackets in my time, but if you're doing what I think you're doing with those postcards, yours definitely takes the cake.
C: Yeah, how about saving the small talk, 'cause you and I ain't got nothing in common.
D: What do you do? Write them here and then send them to a pal in Iraq and have him mail them your wife's way?
C: You know, why don't you just shut your word hole, 'cause you don't know nothing about my racket.
D: A con pretending he ain't in the hole to his family. I seen that once or twice, but Iraq?
C: Yeah, you the one to talk.

[David L.]

C: Yeah, you the one to talk.

Something's wrong here. There are two possibilites:
The usual phraseology is:

C: Yeah, you're the one to talk.

but following the style of speech:
C: Yeah, ain't you the one to talk.

I suspect: you will notice how in speaking, as many words as possible are omitted if it doesn't change the meaning of the sentence. This is one of those instances where 'being tough' is also expressed by brutalizing language: just as there is a tough, hardened indifference to the 'nicieies' of life, so language gets a chop of the axe. It's like some hodgepodge of 'you're the one to talk' and 'Listen to you talk!'

[riverkid]

Hi,

I was wondering if anybody could take a look for me at this sentence-"you the one to talk", I can not get this one, what does it mean in this context?

Thanks for your help.


D: Seen a lot of rackets in my time, but if you're doing what I think you're doing with those postcards, yours definitely takes the cake.
C: Yeah, how about saving the small talk, 'cause you and I ain't got nothing in common.
D: What do you do? Write them here and then send them to a pal in Iraq and have him mail them your wife's way?
C: You know, why don't you just shut your word hole, 'cause you don't know nothing about my racket.
D: A con pretending he ain't in the hole to his family. I seen that once or twice, but Iraq?
C: Yeah, you the one to talk.

Answering the question would be a nice touch. "brutalizing language".

G'day Xinlai-Ue.

"you're one to talk" means "you're no different than me" / "you do the same things that you're accusing me of doing".

[bhaisahab]

Answering the question would be a nice touch. "brutilizing language".

G'day Xinlai-Ue.

"you're one to talk" means "you're no different than me" / "you do the same things that you're accusing me of doing".

I think that DavidL. pointed out quite clearly that "You the one to talk" is a brutalized version of "You're the one to talk".

[riverkid]

XINLAI-UE,

Did you copy & paste this from somewhere or did you transcribe it?

You're a fine one to talk - Idioms - by the Free Dictionary, Thesaurus and Encyclopedia.

You're a fine one to talk! (informal)
something that you say when someone criticizes another person for doing something that they do themselves. 'He's always complaining.' 'You're a fine one to talk!'

I can't say that I've heard it used with a 'the' included, though it may well have just passed right over. Certainly, to my ear, the one without 'the' and often with the addition of "a fine" sound more natural.

Results 1 - 10 of about 273,000 English pages for "you're one to talk".

Results 1 - 10 of about 7,670 English pages for "you're the one to talk".

Results 1 - 10 of about 11,100 English pages for "you're a fine one to talk".

[XINLAI-UE]

[quote=riverkid;321225]XINLAI-UE,

Did you copy & paste this from somewhere or did you transcribe it?




Hi, riverkid,

I watch this show again, and I am sure that C says: You the one to talk.

So in this case I think I agree with David L., "You the one to talk" = "You're the one to talk".

But I got a question, is there a difference between "You're the one to talk"
and "You're one to talk" ? I mean, I am a little confused, does "You're the one to talk" mean- You're the person who you're talking about/ You're no different than me?

Thanks for your help, riverkid.

And, the same goes for David L. and Bhaisahab, thank you.

[riverkid]

XINLAI-UE,

Did you copy & paste this from somewhere or did you transcribe it?

Hi, riverkid,

I watch this show again, and I am sure that C says: You the one to talk.

So in this case I think I agree with David L., "You the one to talk" = "You're the one to talk".

Hi again, Xinlai.

Who is C? What show/movie is this from? It's possible that you didn't notice the speech compression.

The <'re> in "You're" could have been almost unvoiced and/or mistaken for a 'the'. Then again, the character could have said just what you've noted.

But I got a question, is there a difference between "You're the one to talk"
and "You're one to talk" ? I mean, I am a little confused, does "You're the one to talk" mean- You're the person who you're talking about/ You're no different than me?


I can't imagine that they both wouldn't mean the same thing, ie. that noted in the FreeDictionary quote.


Thanks for your help, riverkid.

You're more than welcome.

And, the same goes for David L. and Bhaisahab, thank you.

On behalf of David & Bhaishab, you're welcome.

[XINLAI-UE]

On behalf of David & Bhaishab, you're welcome.

Hi, riverkid,

Okay, I get it now! I guess there's nothing I can do except saying thank you again !

The show I am watching is called Prison Break, and C is C-Note who is a black people and I always hear something like, ain't, I seen, what kind of something you talking about, etc. when he is speaking.

I have no idea if you can remember me, but I remember you.
The first question I asked at this website is answered by you, about the word_ grandfather!