boyfriend's vig

[constantinusphilo]

This is from the novel Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo, published in 2019. It is full of slang expressions, and this one, in particular, I cannot understand:
Yale Alex had never worn handcuffs, never gotten into a fight, never f**ked a stranger in a bathroom to make up her boyfriend’s vig.

 

[emsr2d2]

UrbanDictionary gives "vig" as "the interest paid on a loan to a creditor" or a regular payment to the Mafia. It could mean that here. Perhaps the writer is referring to someone paying a loan by paying with sex. However, I don't see how paying a stranger would help pay off a boyfriend's debt or keep the Mafia happy!

If it's not that, I have no idea what it means.

Please remember not to write swear (curse) words in full on the forum. Use asterisks to disguise them. I've edited your post this time.

 

[probus]

This is from the novel Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo, published in 2019. It is full of slang expressions, and this one, in particular, I cannot understand:
Yale Alex had never worn handcuffs, never gotten into a fight, never f**ked a stranger in a bathroom to make up her boyfriend’s vig.

Vig is an abbreviation of vigorish, a Yiddish word that MAY have been borrowed into English. Whether we accept it as an English word or not, vigorish is the interest charged by a loan shark. Presumably the author means that she would not stoop so low, even to help her boyfriend pay.

 

[jutfrank]

It's saying that since she left college, she has f**ked the guy who her boyfriend owes money to, to count towards paying off the debt.

 

[emsr2d2]

Have you read the book, jutfrank? I'm only asking because the excerpt quoted clearly states that Alex had never done that. If you're right, then I assume "Yale Alex" is like a different persona of Alex. Yale Alex has never done any of those things but Alex has.

 

[jutfrank]

Have you read the book, jutfrank? I'm only asking because the excerpt quoted clearly states that Alex had never done that. If you're right, then I assume "Yale Alex" is like a different persona of Alex. Yale Alex has never done any of those things but Alex has.

I haven't read the book, no. I'm just going from this excerpt.

It seems to me that the clear implication is that Alex has done all of those things. This implication comes from the fact that it says she had never done those things.

As you say, yes, the 'Yale' Alex never did any of those things but the 'new' Alex has. Maybe I'm wrong, but I can't read it any other way.