Re: How about that for strange? -- One-up' ing it

like    [try it on, for size]
[how about that for xxx  ?] -- was common in older movies
                                      (e.g., Billy Wilder)
(One-up' ing it) somewhat similar to ...
                  A:  it's strange.
                  B:  (it's)  Beyond Strange!
A: Super.
B: Jenseits super!
                 kid1:  I dare you.
                 kid2:  I double-dare you.
On 6/19/2024 3:35 PM, Stefan Ram wrote:

musatokyo@juno.ocn.ne.jp (tonbei) wrote or quoted:

"The ladder’s on the roof, how about that for strange?

    That's used to draw attention to something that illustrates
   the adjective being used, in this case "strange". So in the
   context you provided, the detective is pointing out how weird
   or off-the-wall it is to find a ladder on the roof of the
   building, with no obvious reason for it being there. It's an
   idiomatic way to emphasize the oddity of the situation. Like
   finding a surfboard in the middle of the desert - just doesn't
   make sense unless you're filming a Hollister ad or something.
    Alright, it's not a walk in the park to dig up those quirky
   sayings in idiom collections, but I managed to unearth "How's
   that for" in Merriam-Webster. That's probably along those lines.
   It says, "used for emphasis to describe someone or something
   one thinks is very impressive. 'He scored the winning touchdown!
   How's that for a dude who almost didn't make the team?'"