Search from various English teachers...
godttala
What does "that's a great hustle" mean?
At 3:09 of this funny video, Matt Damon said, "That's a great hustle, Ruby."
https://youtu.be/hzVHqSpO8Ko
What does it mean?
Jul 10, 2016 12:53 PM
Answers · 6
1
He isn't saying "that's _a_ great hustle, Ruby," he's saying "that's great hustle, Ruby." It's sports talk.
One of many meanings of the word "to hustle" is to move quickly, to rush, to show a burst of speed. In sports, it is also used as a noun, meaning "speed" or "energy." A coach might say to his players "Come on, folks, let's see some hustle," meaning he wants to see more speed and more energy." "That's good hustle" is complimenting someone on their speed. That's what Matt Damon is doing here.
In another context, the phrase "_a_ great hustle" would suggest a completely different meaning of the word hustle: a scam, a swindle, a racket, a way of cheating someone... often, by pretending to be a poor player at some game such as pool (pocket billiards) or poker, to lure someone into playing against you for money.
July 10, 2016
1
In the video, he is wanting her to "hustle," or hurry up, but she is just walking slowly. By saying "That is a great hustle...," he is being sarcastic. He is commenting on what she thinks hurrying up (or hustling) is.
July 10, 2016
@Jane Lo Thank you!
July 10, 2016
Maybe hustle = hurry or hustle = shoved, jostled.
July 10, 2016
Still haven’t found your answers?
Write down your questions and let the native speakers help you!
godttala
Language Skills
Chinese (Taiwanese), English, Japanese
Learning Language
English, Japanese
Articles You May Also Like

Same Word, Different Meaning: American, British, and South African English
11 likes · 8 Comments

How to Sound Confident in English (Even When You’re Nervous)
13 likes · 11 Comments

Marketing Vocabulary and Phrases for Business English Learners
10 likes · 4 Comments
More articles