[Idiom] The meaning of "Who's down for ten?" ?

Status
Not open for further replies.

Asgarpour

Junior Member
Joined
Oct 6, 2014
Member Type
Student or Learner
Native Language
Persian
Home Country
Iran
Current Location
Iran
Hello,
I've got a slang in a movie about betting that it's not intelligible to me!

This is it: "Who's down for ten?"

What does this exactly mean?
 
What is the context? What were the characters doing at the time?
 
I did tell you! they were betting on something.
 
If, as you said, they were betting, perhaps it means "Who is prepared to bet ten pounds/dollars/yen etc?" (I don't know where the film is from so I don't know which currency they would be talking about.)
 
Or it could be horse humber ten, or the number ten on the roulette wheel.

Again, context matters. What happened before and after this line was spoken? What was the general conversation about?
 
That is in the movie "The last Castle (2001)".
I think there is no difference what the currency is! however, I'll tell you the currency! it is weeks of the inmates.
I just wanna know what the word "down" means in the phrase.
Please tell me if somebody knows.
 
If the currency is "weeks" then it doesn't seem to be anything to do with betting, even if you gave that as the context to start with.

A slang term for being sentenced is "being sent down". Maybe he's asking who has a ten-week sentence. It would make more sense for it to be a ten-year sentence but you said it was to do with weeks.

However, as you have now been asked twice, we would need to know the lines which go before the one you quoted and after it.
 
Let me get this clear! the currency is bundles they have in every week.
The dialogues:
A: I give him a week.
B: A week?
A: Six bundles.
B: Six? Let's make it ten.
B: Come on. We'll make it like the Final Four.
Ten bundles a square. Who's in?
.
.
.
C: Everyone paid up this week?
B: Yeah, we're good.
C: Put mine in, double or nothing against.
B: Who's down for ten?
 
Last edited:
It depends what's in the bundles. If they're in prison, I doubt they have bundles of cash so maybe they bet using bundles of matchsticks or food or other items that are worth trading in prison.

Person A believes that someone ("him") will probably last a week (doing what or until what is unspecified). Person B thinks that's wrong. It is not clear whether Person B thinks it will be less or more than a week. Person A bets six "bundles" of something that he is right about it being a week. Person B then suggests that six is not enough and suggests ten. I don't know what "The Final Four" is so I don't know what those two lines mean. From C onwards it appears to be a later conversation. Based on the rest of it, I am sticking with my original suggestion that it means "Who would like to bet ten (bundles)?"
 
After all, I found the meaning out by searching on the web.
If you are down with/for something it means that you have knowledge of something or are in agreement with it.
 
That meaning makes no sense at all in this context.
 
No sense?!
"Who's down for ten?" means "Who's in agreement with ten?"
Nonsense again?!
 
No sense?!
"Who's down for ten?" means "Who's in agreement with ten?"
Nonsense again?!

It means something like "who wants me to mark down that they have placed a bet on ten days (before the new inmate kills himself)."
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Ask a Teacher

If you have a question about the English language and would like to ask one of our many English teachers and language experts, please click the button below to let us know:

(Requires Registration)
Back
Top