The spelling of the phrase "hadst dibs something" may seem unusual, but it follows English archaic syntax and vocabulary. "Hadst" is the archaic second-person singular past tense of "have", while "dibs" means a claim to something. Together, they denote having claimed possession over something in the past. In IPA transcription, "hadst" is pronounced as /hædst/, with the "a" as in "cat" and a "d" and "st" sound at the end. "Dibs" is pronounced as /dɪbz/, with a short "i" as in "sit" and a "b" and "z" sound.