I watched "Zootopia" and heard this phrase:
I popped the weasel!
I don't get its meaning. I can't find what it means in the dictionary.
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2It is a reference to the rhyme, "Pop goes the weasel" and presumably refers to the noise pop.– BladorthinTheGreyDec 30, 2016 at 11:04
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1Look up "pop goes the weasel".– Greg LeeDec 30, 2016 at 11:04
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If you have a look at the Wikipedia page for the rhyme, "Pop! Goes the Weasel" it seems that the exact meaning is obscured by history.– BladorthinTheGreyDec 30, 2016 at 11:11
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Also read this EL&U answer which guesses at the origin of the weasel popping; a weasel is a type of yarn spinning machine that would, every once in a while, make a popping noise.– BladorthinTheGreyDec 30, 2016 at 11:16
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1 Answer
Pop is police slang for arrest, as well as kill (with a firearm):
pop verb - transitive
to arrest.
- The cops popped him in front of the club.
The Online Slang Dictionary
"I popped the weasel" is also an allusion to the nursery rhyme Pop Goes the Weasel, as others have said.
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So you're asserting that in Pop Goes the Weasel, 'pop' is alluding to 'arrest'? Dec 30, 2016 at 14:04
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@BladorthinTheGrey Now where did I say that? If you wish to assume that I implied it, that is up to you.– MickDec 30, 2016 at 14:06
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It seems that you are saying that in the film they are talking about an arrest (I haven't seen it but presume that fits in the context) and I then wondered if that then extended to cover the original rhyme. If you do think there is evidence of the rhyme alluding to an arrest then Wikipedia is in need of an update. Dec 30, 2016 at 14:10
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@BladorthinTheGrey Well, if others complain about my sloppy writing, I'll amend my answer.– MickDec 30, 2016 at 14:11
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@BladorthinTheGrey Pop! Goes the Weasel is also the name of a Scottish country dance, but that hardly seems to be relevant here.– MickDec 30, 2016 at 14:17