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“What did you say? Listen, I don’t have to take that. You’re liable to get backhanded right off that stool someday.”
“See if I care one bit. That's all I need. Go ahead if it'll make you happy. Knock some teeth out while you're at it.
"Forget it. I was kidding."
“[…] I still got a few of my own in there the others were nice enough to leave me.”
Fat City by Leonard Gardner (1969)

Does it mean "exactly above" that stool or "you are going to get backhand that will send you flying off that stool."?

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  • Please cite the source, when there is more context this helps users give you better answers..
    – Mari-Lou A
    Commented Aug 30 at 5:54
  • Right = "6 a: all the way". What would your first option ("exactly above") even mean?
    – Stuart F
    Commented Aug 30 at 9:22
  • @Mari-LouA it is from the novel "Fat City". In the following dialogue she says " see if i care one bit. That's all i need. Go ahead if it'll make you happy. Knock some teeth out while you're at it. I still got a few of my own in there others were nice enough to leave me." Then in response, he says " God almighty, I wouldn't hit you."
    – Soroush Gh
    Commented Aug 30 at 14:28
  • @StuartF I thought "right off" refers to her position when she was sitting on the stool.
    – Soroush Gh
    Commented Aug 30 at 14:31

2 Answers 2

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OP had asked

What's the meaning of "right off" here? What did you say? Listen, I don’t have to take that. You’re liable to get backhanded right off that stool someday.”

Let's look at the dictionary meaning of "backhanded.".
*Ref. Collins dictionary

backhanded.
in British English.
adjective.
1.(of a blow, shot, stroke, etc) performed with the arm moving across the body

Here the speaker is threatening the listener, who is sitting on a stool. "right off" means "knocked right off your feet."

The sentence means, "Mind your language. I don't have to tolerate you. Someday, I will hit you so hard that you will be knocked off the stool."

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It means the second one:

You are going to get backhanded that will send you flying off that stool.

The first one exactly above that stool doesn't make sense here.

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  • Thank you so much.
    – Soroush Gh
    Commented Aug 30 at 14:31

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