busted/touché

[raffavita]

Hi everybody,
I know what the word "busted" means, but I'm not sure whether I grasped the very shade of it.

If someone feels like they've been discovered somehow, we say "touché".
I mean, during a conversation, someone says something which is recognized as the whole truth by the interlocutor. The latter says: "touché".
Is "busted" used to express the same feeling?
Thank you in advance.
Raffa

 

[pistakee]

I've never heard it used that way. I would only say it to mean, "Got you!" or "Caught you!" in other words, you've been caught at whatever you were trying to get away with!

 

[raffavita]

I think you are right.
It's not the same.
I was misled by this and by our use of "touché".

Somehow, "touché" also means "You caught me."
But I assume there's a slight difference, anyway.
Thank you so much for your prompt reply.

Raffa

 

[TheAmzngTwinWndr]

You might already know this but, "touche" is a fencing term which means you were hit by your opponent (I think it means "touch" in French). So using "touche" means the person you are talking to has discovered the truth of what you are saying. (I know that is kind of confusing, sorry).

"Busted" can mean the same thing (in slang).

1: Can I use your phone?
2: I don't have one.
1: I see it on your belt.
2: Oooo, busted. (or "touche")

1:

 

[Notquitegenius]

The difference here is that the guilty person would say "touché" but the innocent one would say "busted."
Touché = You got me
Busted = I caught you

 

[elroy]

The difference here is that the guilty person would say "touché" but the innocent one would say "busted."
Touché = You got me
Busted = I caught you

I agree that only the guilty person would say "touché" but I think the guilty person could also say "busted" - it works if said in a certain tone of voice (look at TheAmzngTwinWndr's example dialogue).

 

[Notquitegenius]

Yes it is possible, but in my experience that's a rare occurence.

 

[Cader Idris]

I agree with TheAmzngTwinWndr. "Busted" as synonym for "You got me" sounds right. Presumably this has derived somehow from being "busted by the police" i.e. caught for some crime or other.

Busted can also mean "exhausted", "tired out", "shattered" - perhaps because you have "busted a gut" to get to that state. But that doesn't seem related to this context.

 

[raffavita]

Hi there,
actually in the passage where I found the expression "busted" the term was used by the guilty person.

Here is the dialogue:

Woman: "Don't think I'm not on to you. You use that agreeable tone when you want to change the subject or make someone think you're agreeable when you're not."

Man: "Busted."

So, it seemed to me that it wouldn't be wrong to translate that as "touché" but I wasn't sure it was the same.

Thank you so much for all your replies.
Raffa