Learn English – “your elbow was on the table”

meaningmeaning-in-context

At least around here, maybe not in Milwaukee, maybe not in Brookfield,
maybe not in Madison, but around these parts, if you're gonna suggest that a cop is crooked, you're gonna suggest that a cop committed crimes, then you better have something other than "Your elbow was on the table."

From Season 1, Episode 7 of Making a Murderer, spoken by Ken Kratz.

Can you please provide me the explanation of the phrase "Your elbow was on the table" in the context of the above excerpt. The DA resolutely defends the work of the police but what he means by saying that phrase I am not able to understand.

Best Answer

Putting your elbows on the table is considered improper etiquette and bad manners. (See #8 in this post, e.g.)

So, by saying:

you better have something other than "Your elbow was on the table."

the author means, "you better have something more substantial than some trivial infraction."

Any trivial offense would suffice here; the author could have just as well said something along the lines of:

you better have something other than "You used the wrong fork at dessert."

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