"Rykk Adams" <ishnar@dontsendmespamhotmail.com> wrote in message news:<Gr3sd.1197$hn.374@lakeread06>...
> Paul Blay wrote:
> > "necoandjeff" wrote ...
> >> Rykk wrote:
> >>> necoandjeff wrote:
> >>>> Declan Murphy wrote:
> >>>>> Then I gave up. I'm pretty sure I've never seen the expression
> >>>>> before tonight.
> >>>>
> >>>> Ditto.
> >>>
> >>> The way I usually hear it is "Don't get bent out of shape over it."
> >>> Never just "Get bent" by itself.
> >>
> >> Agree.
> >
> > When doing a parody of a police show the usual phrase is
> > "Get bent copper!"
> 
> The word copper gives it away.  I'm an american.  Get bent must be a 
> brittishism. :)
> 
I've heard the word copper in the US, usually in older gangster films,
though, predating the phrase get bent.

John W.