Taliban own goal

Subject: Taliban own goal
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 18 Jul 00 - 07:24 PM

It isn't often you get a story coming out from Afghanistan these days that might make you smile, but here is one from Tuesday's Guardian (London). A grim smile, but a hint that the Taliban can't last for ever. It can be easier to survive being hated than being ridiculed.

Taliban send off footballers in shorts

Subject: RE: Taliban own goal
From: GUEST,Roger the skiffler
Date: 19 Jul 00 - 05:55 AM

Now that Summer's here, some of my younger colleagues are wearing shorts to work, where are the Taliban,when you need them?
RtS

Subject: RE: Taliban own goal
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 19 Jul 00 - 04:30 PM

P.G.Wodehouse had a character modelled on Sir Oswald Mosley - "Sir Reginald Spode" had a would-be fascist movement, or rather a fascist would-be movement, called The Black Shorts.

Subject: RE: Taliban own goal
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 19 Jul 00 - 06:14 PM

FYI: You may have to explain the term "own goal" to Americans, unless they happen to be fans of international soccer, and not many are.

The equivalent American expression is "shooting yourself in the foot."

Subject: RE: Taliban own goal
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 19 Jul 00 - 06:25 PM

Don't they have goals in American football? I know they have touchdowns like Rugby, but I'd always assumed they had some procedure like Rugby for converting them into goals.

Anyway, there are goals (and own goals for that matter) in Gaelic Football and Hurling, and all these lovers of Irish music should feel duty bound to know a little about them, anyway. There are some great hurling songs. (This is the only one on the DT, but it's a good one) All the joy of battle without too much of the bloodshed. The Taliban wouldn't like that either - too frivolous.

Subject: RE: Taliban own goal
From: Bill Hahn//\\
Date: 19 Jul 00 - 07:11 PM

In fact they shaved their hair off their heads first. Then they sent them ( luckily) on their way.

My guess is the Taliban are real fashion plates. Otherwise why shave heads of people in shorts, unless it is to have the pate match the legs.

I suppose that is why Cat Stevens wears robes---goes with the beard and hair. The fall sashion season has arrived via the Taliban. Next, I suppose, the New York Times will have them in their utterly strange STYLES section.

Bill H

Subject: RE: Taliban own goal
From: Gary T
Date: 19 Jul 00 - 07:55 PM

Thanks, Jim. "Own goal" apparently is idiomatic, I can't recall hearing it used here in the States. We use the term goal in basketball, and field goal in American football, but the logistics of those games are such that it would be virtually impossible to score against your own team, hence no need for the phrase "own goal".

There have been some cases where someone ran the wrong way with a football and scored a touchdown for the opponents. It's pretty rare, though, and usually is BIG news when it happens.

Subject: RE: Taliban own goal
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 19 Jul 00 - 08:19 PM

I'd have thought when you were trying to stop someone getting a ball into a basket it'd be fatally easy to tip it over yourself.

But no matter. I doubt Yusuf Islam would be too keen on the Taliban. He's more in tune with Iran I believe, and they think the Taliban are crazy extremists!

Subject: RE: Taliban own goal
From: Mrrzy
Date: 19 Jul 00 - 09:01 PM

Americans have the concept of "own goal" (witness my niece's despair at accidentally kicking the soccer ball past her team's goalie) - we just don't have the term. I first read this as the Taliban had a goal of their own, then realized that it was written in a British accent. I don't know the soccer term for that - scoring a point for the opponent must have a term - any soccer players out there? (Note that by using the term "soccer" I'm asking the Americans.)

Back to the thread: the Taliban are no joking matter. But that article was still funny...

Subject: RE: Taliban own goal
From: Gary T
Date: 19 Jul 00 - 09:32 PM

McGrath, what you said about the basket is probably true to some extent, but I think it would be construed as failing to block the other team's shot. Unlike in soccer, where a ball that's not headed into the goal could accidentally be redirected into it by a defending player, in basketball the ball pretty much is going to be headed right for the goal when defenders reach for it. Other intended blocks/interceptions (e.g. a pass) would not be close enough to the goal to matter. I'm no expert on this, that's just my personal appraisal.

Subject: RE: Taliban own goal
From: bflat
Date: 19 Jul 00 - 09:46 PM

I went to the dictonary to find the meaning of pate.

Doesn't eveyone have a goal? I don't mean to sound cavalier.

flat

Subject: RE: Taliban own goal
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 20 Jul 00 - 06:21 AM

What I like about the Mudcat is the thread drift, when it ends up with you learning something you hadn't thought you didn't know.

I wonder how many times meetings between Americans and people from the rest of the world speaking English have been confused because someone have used the term "own goal". I mmean, you can imagine a war starting out of a confusion like this.

"Expelling your airbase from our country would definitely be an own goal for me," said the Prime Minister.

"In that case I don't think we have anything left to talk about" said the President, and the negotiations came to an abrupt halt as he walked out...