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Idiom: play a good Samaritan

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Latest post Mon, May 26 2008 8:22 PM by Grammar Geek. 12 replies.
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JCDenton  +  519179 Mon, 26 May 08 04:36 PM

Hi,

I just have a question about an idiom play a good Samaritan. Please, if someone say that he played good Samaritan, could it be taken as that he faked an effort of helping people? Or does it mean that he just played the Samaritan in the metaforical meaning, that he offered help to someone / he helped someone? Please in which situations is this being used? It is my first option or the second one? I came across to this idiom in this sentence. 

Maybe he played good Samaritan and it went south (went south = went wrong). He was helping people after that incident, right? Well, maybe that's what put him on the wrong side of this guy. (maybe that was the reason why was that guys so angry on him)

many thanks in advance for clarification!

have a nice day, guys.

with regards

JCD

 


 

 

 
JCDenton
Joined on Tue, Jul 3 2007
Regular Member 658
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Avangi  +  519184 Mon, 26 May 08 04:45 PM

Hi JCD,

It sounds like the speaker is only guessing, so I doubt we can do much better.

"This guy" seems to be the guy who was "helped," and is now pissed off at the helper.

"Good Samaritans are controversial for this reason.  They often make matters worse and end up getting sued for their trouble.

It's a common scenario.

The G/S was probably sincere and gave it his best shot, and now the speaker is belittleing his efforts.   (I have no idea how to spell the "b" word.)

  - A. 

Avangi
Joined on Mon, Nov 19 2007
Veteran Member 8,211
". . . le plaisir delicieux et toujours nouveau d'une occupation inutile." - Henri de Regnier
Related discussions
optilang  +  519187 Mon, 26 May 08 04:49 PM
Play the good samaritan 
optilang
Joined on Tue, May 13 2008
Poland
Senior Member 2,524
OptiNative British English Speaker Wherever I may roam, I'm still a Londoner.
RayH  +  519191 Mon, 26 May 08 04:53 PM
Normally you won't hear the exact quote "play a good Samaritan". I did a Google search for this term and found an article from an Indian newspaper. Is this where you got this quote?

If not please provide a link or at least some additional context. It's not possible to say exactly what was meant from what you have provided.
RayH
Joined on Sat, Mar 22 2008
Contributing Member 1,555
Native speaker of U. S. English. Not a grammar expert.
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JCDenton  +  519193 Mon, 26 May 08 04:55 PM

Avangi
“

.."This guy" seems to be the guy who was "helped," and is now *** off at the helper.

”

Yes. Many thanks Avangi! I understood it in the same way....This idiom seems to be used widely, at least according google. So I wanted to know an exact meaning....

thanks again.

 
JCDenton
optilang  +  519198 Mon, 26 May 08 05:00 PM
 I have heard quite often

I don't want to play the good samaritan ..

and also said to others

Don't try to play the good samaritan! 
optilang
Grammar Geek  +  519202 Mon, 26 May 08 05:09 PM

You can read about the parable that Jesus told online.

In practical, modern terms, someone who plays the good Samaritan (which is how I often hear it, along with "act the good Samaritan") stops to help a stranger. It usually applies to situations like an automobile accident. If the person does the best they can, acting as a reasonable person, they won't get sued - they are protected by what are called "good Samaritan laws."

Sadly, there were cases in which doctors would see an accident and stop to help. If the person didn't make a full recovery, he somehow felt entitled to sue the doctor for "malpractice." As a result, doctors were refusing to help accident victims they came across. And as a result of THAT, these "good Samaritan" laws were passed so people would not be afraid to try to help.

In the original quote "tried to play the good Samaritan and it went south" - it means someone tried their best to help, but it went badly wrong.

Samaritan should be capitalized.

The words "play" or "act" should NOT be read to mean it was not a good, honest effort.

 
Grammar Geek
Joined on Tue, Jan 10 2006
Veteran Member 19,683
Barbara, who answers in American English. My housekeeping skills attest to the truth of the second law of thermodynamics: Left to themselves, things get more and more random!
JCDenton  +  519216 Mon, 26 May 08 05:23 PM

Many thanks for your notes! Now I'm sure that the play word there certainly doesn't mean fake.

best wishes guys.

 

 

 

 
JCDenton
Yoong Liat  +  519224 Mon, 26 May 08 05:34 PM

[JCDenton"]Or does it mean that he just played the Samaritan in the metaforical meaning, that he offered help to someone / he helped someone? 

It should be metaphorical.  hope you don't mind my pointing out the spelling error.  Or is it a typo? 
Yoong Liat
Joined on Mon, Sep 4 2006
Veteran Member 6,757
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