MovieChat Forums > Every Which Way But Loose (1978) Discussion > What does the title mean?

What does the title mean?

posted 15 years ago by Erumpent
10 replies | jump to latest

What is the meaning of "Every Which Way But Loose"?

"Now I'm here by myself, uh, talking to myself. That, that's Chaos Theory."

[–] lance-62 15 years ago

I hadn't thought that much about it, but now that you asked, I think I have it...

The song by the same title bears the answer. The main line of the chorus: "You turn me every which way but loose". Meaning, the singer would like the woman to "turn him loose" (i.e., set him free), but instead she is turning him every which way but. (for example: turning him upside down, turning him on, turning him off, turning him around, etc.) It's about a man who is hooked on a hard-to-handle woman, I think. This fits in a way with the stormy nature of Eastwood and Locke's relationship in the movie.

Like I said, I never thought it through before really, but that's what makes sense to me.

[–] mwest_Au 15 years ago

Nice interpretation.

[–] lance-62 15 years ago

Thanks!

[–] rowleyinteriors 14 years ago

Towards the end of Smokey and the Bandit The Snowman says "Every Which Way But Loose".

Wonder why?

[–] raiderking69 14 years ago

Well considering this movie was written as a Burt Reynolds vehicle, it makes since.

[–] gutz1981 13 years ago

It was the Evel Knievel that pulled over the snowman that said that when he was writing him a ticket, "Boy when the judge gets through with you, he's gonna turn you every which way but loose". I always thought that the title was meant like a screw, as in turning a screw loose, or turning a screw every which way but it won't come loose. Something like that.

[–] Ddduuudddeee 12 years ago

it means the judge is going to everything to him, except let him go, or turn him loose.

[–] LukeCoolHand 12 years ago

It is actually an old term which means "I"m going to whip your ass"

[–] pjjones 10 years ago

You got it. The expression has been around a long, long time. My dad was a fan of this movie. I asked him where the expression came from and he said that all his life he's heard people say, "Turned him every way but loose." As I write this, if my dad were alive he'd be 104 years old. So I guess any old saying he heard all his life must have been old indeed.

[–] rwilkins2 8 years ago

We used to use that phrase in the sense that if we were talking about fighting someone we would tell them. "Boy I will turn you every which way but loose before I am finished with you." And thats what Clint did to most everyone he fought in these 2 movies.