Skin In The Game

[Laurence Horn]

At 10:29 AM -0400 4/16/07, Doug Harris wrote:
>Sorry, I _meant_ to say cricket, not soccer.
>--
>Still, the original meaning is a long way from the usage being
>applied today. Not that that's uncommon, but by taking the hat
>(award) away, one removes the 'value' of the cliché, such as it
>is.
>And one of the dumbest things about the use (as in the hockey
>situation) of a term such as this is that, so far as I know,
>little effort is ever made to explain its meaning, in context,
>to readers of or listeners to sports reports.
>------------

But the meaning of "score/get a hat trick" is
'make three goals in the same game', and what
you're referring to would constitute explaining
the origin of the term and not its meaning.  We
don't castigate those who use "kick the bucket"
for failing to explain the origin that relates
kicking and buckets to death, or "spill the
beans", or whatever.  Ditto in the sports context
for "grand slam" (in baseball, as opposed to
contract bridge).

LH

>An OT aside: I just received an emergency weather statement in
>which a weather person veered slightly off the 'just the facts'
>track to wax poetic: In a warning about impending flooding and
>the danger of driving into water-covered roadway areas, the WP
>said, "Turn around; don't drown."
>Succinct, to the point, and _far_ less
>cloud-covered that the distinction
>between 'winter weather advisory,'
>'...watch' and '...warning'.
>(the other) doug
>
>
>Dave Wilton wrote:
>Actually, the roots of "hat trick" are in late-19th century cricket.
>Originally a bowler who took three wickets on three successive balls would
>be awarded a hat to commemorate the accomplishment.
>
>------------------------------------------------------------
>The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org

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The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org