shape-ups

English translation: (informal) recruitment o. hiring process

13:18 Jun 11, 2021

English language (monolingual) [PRO]
Art/Literary - Slang

English term or phrase: shape-ups

Instead of being a prince, Danny is some kind of minor duke or
something. He always gets picked in the shape-ups without having to
pay off the dock bosses, and Pat sees that other kind of work comes
his way from time to time.

Irish mafia, 1980s, Rhode Island

I suppose the shape-ups might mean fights, but then I can see no connection to "having to pay off the dock bosses", unless they have to pay for having a fight? Or is it something else? Thank you for your help.

allp KudoZ activity Questions: 909 (1 open) (19 closed without grading) Answers: 1695 Poland
Local time: 08:56

Selected answer:(informal) recruitment o. hiring process

Selected response from:

Cilian O'Tuama
Germany
Local time: 08:56

Grading comment

Thank you
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer

SUMMARY OF ALL EXPLANATIONS PROVIDED

5 +1

system of day hire of longshoremen etc.

Yvonne Gallagher

3 +2

(informal) recruitment o. hiring process

Cilian O'Tuama

Discussion entries: 6

Answers

27 mins confidence:

peer agreement (net): +2

shape-up

(informal) recruitment o. hiring process

Explanation:
-

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Note added at 51 mins (2021-06-11 14:10:23 GMT)
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It sounds like other candidates had to bribe the dock bosses in order to be picked for a job, but not our Danny.

https://careertrend.com/about-6692958-longshoremen-s-job-description.html
https://archive.org/stream/shapeuphiringhal00larrrich/shapeuphiringhal00larrrich_djvu.txt

Cilian O'Tuama
Germany
Local time: 08:56
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 8

Grading comment

Thank you

Notes to answerer

Asker: It seems so. That's a good suggestion, thanks!

21 hrs confidence:

peer agreement (net): +1

system of day hire of longshoremen etc.

Explanation:
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/shape-up

: a system of hiring workers and especially longshoremen by the day or shift by having applicants gather for each day's selection
also : an instance of such hiring practice

There were several jobs where men looking for work had to assemble early each morning and the boss or forman would then pick the workers they wanted from the assembled ranks for the day's work

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Note added at 23 hrs (2021-06-12 13:09:40 GMT)
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type: foreman

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Note added at 1 day 22 hrs (2021-06-13 11:28:44 GMT)
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"informal" is too vague to sdescribe this system of hiring.

there was a scene in the great film with Marlon brando On the Waterfrong of this corrupt "shape-up" system https://archive.nytimes.com/www.nytimes.com/packages/html/mo...

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Note added at 1 day 22 hrs (2021-06-13 11:30:02 GMT)
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There was a system of hiring called the shape-up, which had been outlawed in England a century ago as inhuman, degrading and wasteful of manpower. These priests saw the immorality of the shape-up: five or six hundred men standing around a hiring boss, often a Sing-Sing old grad, who taps the two hundred or so he wants that day. There was hardly an evil the harbor, said the waterfront priests, not directly traceable to the shape-up.

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Note added at 4 days (2021-06-15 14:54:40 GMT) Post-grading
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well, what can I say? I rarely post 100% confidence but I am sure of this one.
"informal" while not completely wrong, is clearly too vague as this is a special type of hiring

Yvonne Gallagher
Ireland
Local time: 07:56
Native speaker of:

English
PRO pts in category: 24

Notes to answerer

Asker: This is so well backed-up that I would like to give points to two answerers. But since Cillian's link cleared my doubts first, it's just a big thank you.

Asker: Yes I know that the title of the answer is not very precise but the second link given by Cillian explains the procedure very extensively. I really appreciate both of your answers.

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