On the Deuce

[José Manuel Rosón Bravo]

Hi everybody.

I would like to ask for the correct interpretation of two lines in a movie script.

The movie is “Cruising” – 1980 – with Al Pacino, Paul Sorvino and many others as you know.

After the first murder, some cops are interrogating or questioning an informant (DaVinci, played by Gene Davis) in a precinct, showing him some smugshots and asking for information. At this point, DaVinci says literally:

I know this dude too.
I seen him on the deuce.
He gives the best beatings
like six ways from Sunday.

I would thank some US native to explain the meaning of the part in bold to me.

I understand the meaning of giving the best beatings, and I know the idiom “like six ways from Sunday”, but not after “on the deuce”. Is it something about sports, like tennis, or maybe it has some kind of double meaning?

In the Spanish version of the movie, the character says (translated to English):

I know this dude too
I have seen him in action.
He delivers such blows that anyone would want to be his/her slave.

??????????????

You can see the script on this page: https://www.scripts.com/script.php?id=cruising_6111&p=2

And a part of the moment in this video: [video]https://getyarn.io/yarn-clip/106cd284-57ff-4e59-bbe2-3350f5e7ff6a[/video]

Thanks.

 

[GoesStation]

The Urban Dictionary tells me it is or was New York City slang for 42nd Street. While this isn't a generally reliable source, I think there's a good chance it's correct this time.

 

[José Manuel Rosón Bravo]

Yes, I understand. From the definition I gather that the place is not what it used to be.

Thanks again.

 

[SoothingDave]

It's true. HBO recently had a series called "The Deuce" about life in that area in the 1970s.

 

[Charlie Bernstein]

Yes, the Deuce (capital D) is 42nd Street. It includes the legendary Times Square. The sleeze and neon are gone now and the selfie-addled tourists and LED billboards have taken over.

 

[José Manuel Rosón Bravo]

Yes, I have read something about the HBO series in looking the Deuce up online.

 

[José Manuel Rosón Bravo]

You mean "disneyfied", Charlie? I didn't know this word. I see that there is a Spanish version ("Disneyficación"). I didn't know it either.

There must something like it in almost all cities in the world, with another name and size of course, but same thing. We have (or had) our "Deuce" here in Bilbao (Northern Spain), now also refurbished in some way.

On the other hand, I have seen these regionally-adapted translations in other movies. Replacing names or idioms with other local or more common expressions to avoid confusion or just because local spectators wouldn't understand them.

I know this dude too
I have seen him in action. ("Le he visto en acción")

Some nice pictures: https://images.app.goo.gl/GHo8XhTTQpZstC8T7

 

[Charlie Bernstein]

You mean "disneyfied", Charlie? I didn't know this word. I see that there is a Spanish version ("Disneyficación"). I didn't know it either.

Yes, Disneyfied, with a capital D.

The most extreme example in the US is Las Vegas. Neon is out. Cargo shorts are in. You can Google Las Vegas neon for an eyeful.

 

[José Manuel Rosón Bravo]

Yes, with a capital D.

And yes, I know Las Vegas neon. It is very famous.