Comments on: Poacher turned gamewinner http://www.macmillandictionaryblog.com/poacher-turned-gamewinner Global English and language change Fri, 10 Feb 2012 22:07:07 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v= By: Ian Muir-Cochrane http://www.macmillandictionaryblog.com/poacher-turned-gamewinner/comment-page-1#comment-3554 Ian Muir-Cochrane Fri, 02 Jul 2010 09:18:12 +0000 http://www.macmillandictionaryblog.com/?p=5668#comment-3554 Fascinating blog. We must catch up. Ian Fascinating blog. We must catch up. Ian

]]> By: Andrew Delahunty http://www.macmillandictionaryblog.com/poacher-turned-gamewinner/comment-page-1#comment-3534 Andrew Delahunty Wed, 30 Jun 2010 15:33:20 +0000 http://www.macmillandictionaryblog.com/?p=5668#comment-3534 Those interesting observations on the word 'sport' from Stephen remind me that 'game' has a similar duality in its use: the phrase 'big game', for example, can refer both to large wild animals hunted as sport and to an important match. I seem to be bumping into examples of this hunting imagery all the time now. Last night I heard a commentator on the radio say that, given the player's lack of goals at this and previous tournaments, 'the World Cup has not really been a happy hunting ground for Ronaldo.' Those interesting observations on the word ‘sport’ from Stephen remind me that ‘game’ has a similar duality in its use: the phrase ‘big game’, for example, can refer both to large wild animals hunted as sport and to an important match. I seem to be bumping into examples of this hunting imagery all the time now. Last night I heard a commentator on the radio say that, given the player’s lack of goals at this and previous tournaments, ‘the World Cup has not really been a happy hunting ground for Ronaldo.’

]]> By: Stephen Bullon http://www.macmillandictionaryblog.com/poacher-turned-gamewinner/comment-page-1#comment-3523 Stephen Bullon Tue, 29 Jun 2010 15:46:20 +0000 http://www.macmillandictionaryblog.com/?p=5668#comment-3523 Not sure about other countries, but in Britain there's a tradition of using the word "sport" to refer to hunting, shooting, and fishing. The idea is that the hunted animal has a "sporting" chance of escape (the stag can run away, the grouse can fly out of range of the guns, the fish can refuse to take the bait) hence the idea of sport - it's the hunter pitting his or her wits against the wily prey. Poachers, however, are not sportsmen. They use traps and other unfair means, so poaching is not just stealing, it's being unsportsmanlike. I don't think goal-poachers are thought of as unsportsmanlike, but as Andrew mentions, their craft is seen as being slightly sneaky. The offside rule was introduced to curb excessive goal-poaching by forcing putative poachers to keep their distance (depending on how well organized the opposition defence is). But in those free-for-all games with no referees and no offside rule, where kids swarm round the pitch all following the ball wherever it goes, the ones who stay firmly placed near their opponents' goal are called goalhangers, and that's a much more pejorative term. Not sure about other countries, but in Britain there’s a tradition of using the word “sport” to refer to hunting, shooting, and fishing. The idea is that the hunted animal has a “sporting” chance of escape (the stag can run away, the grouse can fly out of range of the guns, the fish can refuse to take the bait) hence the idea of sport – it’s the hunter pitting his or her wits against the wily prey. Poachers, however, are not sportsmen. They use traps and other unfair means, so poaching is not just stealing, it’s being unsportsmanlike.
I don’t think goal-poachers are thought of as unsportsmanlike, but as Andrew mentions, their craft is seen as being slightly sneaky. The offside rule was introduced to curb excessive goal-poaching by forcing putative poachers to keep their distance (depending on how well organized the opposition defence is). But in those free-for-all games with no referees and no offside rule, where kids swarm round the pitch all following the ball wherever it goes, the ones who stay firmly placed near their opponents’ goal are called goalhangers, and that’s a much more pejorative term.

]]> By: Tweets that mention Poacher turned gamewinner | Macmillan -- Topsy.com http://www.macmillandictionaryblog.com/poacher-turned-gamewinner/comment-page-1#comment-3520 Tweets that mention Poacher turned gamewinner | Macmillan -- Topsy.com Tue, 29 Jun 2010 08:52:59 +0000 http://www.macmillandictionaryblog.com/?p=5668#comment-3520 [...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Roel Thijssen and ThijssenTranslations, Macmillan Dictionary. Macmillan Dictionary said: Poacher turned gamewinner http://bit.ly/a4AyT0 [...] [...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Roel Thijssen and ThijssenTranslations, Macmillan Dictionary. Macmillan Dictionary said: Poacher turned gamewinner http://bit.ly/a4AyT0 [...]

]]> By: World Wide News Flash http://www.macmillandictionaryblog.com/poacher-turned-gamewinner/comment-page-1#comment-3519 World Wide News Flash Tue, 29 Jun 2010 08:39:06 +0000 http://www.macmillandictionaryblog.com/?p=5668#comment-3519 <strong>Poacher turned gamewinner...</strong> I found your entry interesting do I've added a Trackback to it on my weblog :)... Poacher turned gamewinner…

I found your entry interesting do I’ve added a Trackback to it on my weblog :) …

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