Loose cannon
<p><span word="Reader">Reader</span> <span word="question">question</span>:</p><p><span word="Please">Please</span> <span word="explain">explain</span> “<span word="loose">loose</span> <span word="cannon">cannon</span>”, <span word="as">as</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="this">this</span> <span word="passage">passage</span>:</p><p><span word="This">This</span> <span word="candidate">candidate</span> <span word="had">had</span> <span word="appealing">appealing</span> <span word="ideas">ideas</span>, <span word="was">was</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="good">good</span> <span word="speaker">speaker</span>, <span word="and">and</span> <span word="had">had</span> <span word="an">an</span> <span word="impressive">impressive</span> <span word="record">record</span>. <span word="But">But</span> <span word="he">he</span> <span word="lost">lost</span>. <span word="Too">Too</span> <span word="many">many</span> <span word="voters">voters</span> <span word="were">were</span> <span word="afraid">afraid</span> <span word="he">he</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="loose">loose</span> <span word="cannon">cannon</span> <span word="who">who</span>’<span word="d">d</span> <span word="go">go</span> <span word="his">his</span> <span word="own">own</span> <span word="way">way</span>.</p><p><span word="My">My</span> <span word="comments">comments</span>:</p><p><span word="A">A</span> “<span word="loose">loose</span> <span word="cannon">cannon</span>” <span word="is">is</span> <span word="one">one</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="is">is</span>, <span word="well">well</span>, <span word="loose">loose</span>. <span word="It">It</span> <span word="either">either</span> <span word="leaks">leaks</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="cannonball">cannonball</span> – <span word="leaves">leaves</span> <span word="it">it</span> <span word="rolling">rolling</span> <span word="out">out</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="barrel">barrel</span> – <span word="or">or</span> <span word="it">it</span> <span word="may">may</span> <span word="get">get</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="cannonball">cannonball</span> <span word="stuck">stuck</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="barrel">barrel</span>, <span word="which">which</span> <span word="may">may</span> <span word="explode">explode</span> <span word="any">any</span> <span word="minute">minute</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="its">its</span> <span word="own">own</span>. <span word="In">In</span> <span word="other">other</span> <span word="words">words</span>, <span word="a">a</span> <span word="loose">loose</span> <span word="cannon">cannon</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="out">out</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="control">control</span>, <span word="and">and</span> <span word="dangerous">dangerous</span>.</p><p><span word="Figuratively">Figuratively</span>, <span word="a">a</span> <span word="loose">loose</span> <span word="cannon">cannon</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="often">often</span> <span word="used">used</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="refer">refer</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="person">person</span> <span word="who">who</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="unpredictable">unpredictable</span>, <span word="and">and</span> “<span word="liable">liable</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="cause">cause</span> <span word="damage">damage</span> <span word="if">if</span> <span word="not">not</span> <span word="kept">kept</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="check">check</span> <span word="by">by</span> <span word="others">others</span>” (<span word="Phrases">Phrases</span>.<span word="org">org</span>.<span word="uk">uk</span>).</p><p><span word="In">In</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="above">above</span> <span word="example">example</span>, <span word="the">the</span> “<span word="good">good</span>” <span word="candidate">candidate</span> <span word="lost">lost</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="race">race</span> <span word="because">because</span> <span word="he">he</span>’<span word="s">s</span> <span word="not">not</span> <span word="always">always</span> <span word="under">under</span> <span word="control">control</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="party">party</span> <span word="politics">politics</span>, <span word="control">control</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="everything">everything</span>. <span word="Party">Party</span> <span word="members">members</span> <span word="serve">serve</span>, <span word="first">first</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="foremost">foremost</span>, <span word="the">the</span> <span word="interests">interests</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="their">their</span> <span word="party">party</span>, <span word="looking">looking</span> <span word="after">after</span> <span word="its">its</span> <span word="collective">collective</span> <span word="agendas">agendas</span> <span word="ahead">ahead</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="their">their</span> <span word="own">own</span>. <span word="In">In</span> <span word="other">other</span> <span word="words">words</span>, <span word="the">the</span> <span word="group">group</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="paramount">paramount</span>. <span word="The">The</span> <span word="individual">individual</span> <span word="must">must</span> <span word="sacrifice">sacrifice</span> <span word="its">its</span> <span word="personal">personal</span> <span word="preferences">preferences</span>, <span word="likes">likes</span> <span word="or">or</span> <span word="dislikes">dislikes</span>, <span word="for">for</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="sake">sake</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="group">group</span>.</p><p><span word="Not">Not</span> <span word="just">just</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="party">party</span> <span word="politics">politics</span>, <span word="either">either</span>. <span word="If">If</span> <span word="you">you</span>’<span word="re">re</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="Winter">Winter</span> <span word="Olympic">Olympic</span> <span word="athlete">athlete</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="China">China</span>, <span word="this">this</span> <span word="appears">appears</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="hold">hold</span> <span word="true">true</span>, <span word="too">too</span>. <span word="If">If</span>, <span word="that">that</span> <span word="is">is</span>, <span word="you">you</span>’<span word="re">re</span> <span word="Zhou">Zhou</span> <span word="Yang">Yang</span>, <span word="who">who</span> <span word="won">won</span> <span word="two">two</span> <span word="gold">gold</span> <span word="medals">medals</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="Vancouver">Vancouver</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="if">if</span> <span word="you">you</span>’<span word="re">re</span> <span word="under">under</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="leadership">leadership</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="such">such</span> <span word="officials">officials</span> <span word="as">as</span> <span word="Yu">Yu</span> <span word="Zaiqing">Zaiqing</span>, <span word="deputy">deputy</span> <span word="minister">minister</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="Sports">Sports</span> <span word="Commission">Commission</span>, <span word="sports">sports</span>’ <span word="governing">governing</span> <span word="body">body</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="China">China</span>. <span word="Yu">Yu</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="quoted">quoted</span> <span word="by">by</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="Nanfang">Nanfang</span> <span word="Dushi">Dushi</span> <span word="Daily">Daily</span> (<span word="NDDaily">NDDaily</span>.<span word="com">com</span>, <span word="March">March</span> 8, 2010) <span word="as">as</span> <span word="criticizing">criticizing</span> <span word="Zhou">Zhou</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="thinking">thinking</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="his">his</span> <span word="parents">parents</span> <span word="first">first</span> – <span word="ahead">ahead</span> <span word="of">of</span>, <span word="apparently">apparently</span>, <span word="her">her</span> “<span word="dear">dear</span> <span word="leaders">leaders</span>” – <span word="after">after</span> <span word="securing">securing</span> <span word="one">one</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="her">her</span> <span word="gold">gold</span> <span word="medals">medals</span>: “<span word="For">For</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="kid">kid</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="thank">thank</span> <span word="their">their</span> <span word="parents">parents</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="alright">alright</span>, <span word="no">no</span> <span word="problem">problem</span>, <span word="but">but</span> <span word="first">first</span> <span word="she">she</span> <span word="should">should</span> <span word="have">have</span> <span word="thanked">thanked</span> <span word="her">her</span> <span word="country">country</span>.” <span word="Yu">Yu</span> <span word="made">made</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="remark">remark</span> <span word="during">during</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="on">on</span>-<span word="going">going</span> <span word="annual">annual</span> <span word="CPPCC">CPPCC</span> (<span word="Chinese">Chinese</span> <span word="People">People</span>’<span word="s">s</span> <span word="Political">Political</span> <span word="Consultative">Consultative</span> <span word="Conference">Conference</span>), <span word="China">China</span>’<span word="s">s</span> <span word="top">top</span> <span word="political">political</span> <span word="advisory">advisory</span> <span word="meeting">meeting</span>.</p>
页:
[1]