Lock horns
<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="this">this</span> <span word="headline">headline</span> – <span word="Gates">Gates</span> <span word="unafraid">unafraid</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="lock">lock</span> <span word="horns">horns</span> <span word="with">with</span> <span word="top">top</span> <span word="generals">generals</span> (<span word="USAToday">USAToday</span>.<span word="com">com</span>, <span word="April">April</span> 5, 2010) – <span word="and">and</span> <span word="particularly">particularly</span> “<span word="lock">lock</span> <span word="horns">horns</span>”.</p><p><span word="My">My</span> <span word="comments">comments</span>:</p><p><span word="It">It</span> <span word="means">means</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="say">say</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="Gates">Gates</span>, <span word="Robert">Robert</span> <span word="Gates">Gates</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="US">US</span> <span word="Defense">Defense</span> <span word="Secretary">Secretary</span>, <span word="is">is</span> <span word="not">not</span> <span word="afraid">afraid</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="get">get</span> <span word="into">into</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="fight">fight</span> <span word="with">with</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="military">military</span>’<span word="s">s</span> <span word="top">top</span> <span word="officers">officers</span>.</p><p><span word="Verbally">Verbally</span>, <span word="of">of</span> <span word="course">course</span>, <span word="not">not</span> <span word="one">one</span> <span word="involving">involving</span> <span word="fists">fists</span>.</p><p><span word="Or">Or</span> <span word="horns">horns</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="matter">matter</span> – <span word="they">they</span> <span word="don">don</span>’<span word="t">t</span> <span word="have">have</span> <span word="them">them</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="begin">begin</span> <span word="with">with</span> <span word="anyway">anyway</span>.</p><p><span word="Horns">Horns</span>, <span word="you">you</span> <span word="see">see</span>, <span word="are">are</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="hardened">hardened</span>, <span word="pointed">pointed</span>, <span word="hook">hook</span>-<span word="like">like</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="bone">bone</span>-<span word="like">like</span> <span word="growths">growths</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="head">head</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="cows">cows</span>, <span word="deer">deer</span>, <span word="goats">goats</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="other">other</span> <span word="grass">grass</span> <span word="eating">eating</span> <span word="animals">animals</span>. <span word="The">The</span> <span word="horns">horns</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="these">these</span> <span word="herbivores">herbivores</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="used">used</span> <span word="as">as</span> <span word="weapons">weapons</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="fighting">fighting</span> <span word="over">over</span> <span word="mating">mating</span> <span word="rights">rights</span> <span word="or">or</span> <span word="self">self</span>-<span word="defense">defense</span> <span word="because">because</span> <span word="they">they</span> <span word="don">don</span>’<span word="t">t</span> <span word="have">have</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="sharp">sharp</span> <span word="teeth">teeth</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="carnivore">carnivore</span>, <span word="the">the</span> <span word="meat">meat</span> <span word="eater">eater</span> <span word="such">such</span> <span word="as">as</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="tiger">tiger</span> <span word="or">or</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="lion">lion</span>.</p><p><span word="Deprived">Deprived</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="their">their</span> <span word="teeth">teeth</span>, <span word="they">they</span> <span word="use">use</span> <span word="their">their</span> <span word="head">head</span> <span word="instead">instead</span>. <span word="Gates">Gates</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="army">army</span> <span word="generals">generals</span> <span word="use">use</span> <span word="their">their</span> <span word="head">head</span>, <span word="too">too</span>, <span word="in">in</span> <span word="argument">argument</span>, <span word="but">but</span> <span word="that">that</span>’<span word="s">s</span> <span word="just">just</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="metaphor">metaphor</span>, <span word="an">an</span> <span word="entirely">entirely</span> <span word="different">different</span> <span word="matter">matter</span>. <span word="Herbivores">Herbivores</span>, <span word="you">you</span> <span word="see">see</span>, <span word="are">are</span> <span word="literally">literally</span> <span word="banging">banging</span> <span word="their">their</span> <span word="heads">heads</span> <span word="against">against</span> <span word="each">each</span> <span word="other">other</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="their">their</span> <span word="fight">fight</span>, <span word="and">and</span> <span word="that">that</span>’<span word="s">s</span> <span word="when">when</span> <span word="they">they</span> “<span word="lock">lock</span> <span word="horns">horns</span>” <span word="with">with</span> <span word="each">each</span> <span word="other">other</span>. <span word="If">If</span> <span word="you">you</span>’<span word="ve">ve</span> <span word="ever">ever</span> <span word="observed">observed</span> <span word="two">two</span> <span word="goats">goats</span> <span word="fighting">fighting</span> <span word="each">each</span> <span word="other">other</span>, <span word="you">you</span>’<span word="ll">ll</span> <span word="be">be</span> <span word="able">able</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="understand">understand</span> <span word="perfectly">perfectly</span> <span word="what">what</span> “<span word="locking">locking</span> <span word="horns">horns</span>” <span word="is">is</span> <span word="all">all</span> <span word="about">about</span>. <span word="If">If</span> <span word="one">one</span> <span word="animal">animal</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="significantly">significantly</span> <span word="larger">larger</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="size">size</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="bigger">bigger</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="strength">strength</span>, <span word="the">the</span> <span word="fight">fight</span> <span word="may">may</span> <span word="be">be</span> <span word="over">over</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="an">an</span> <span word="instant">instant</span>, <span word="with">with</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="loser">loser</span> <span word="running">running</span> <span word="off">off</span> <span word="tucking">tucking</span> <span word="its">its</span> <span word="tail">tail</span> <span word="between">between</span> <span word="its">its</span> <span word="trembling">trembling</span> <span word="legs">legs</span>. <span word="However">However</span>, <span word="when">when</span> <span word="two">two</span> <span word="goats">goats</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="equal">equal</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="strength">strength</span>, <span word="the">the</span> <span word="fight">fight</span> <span word="can">can</span> <span word="be">be</span> <span word="long">long</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="bloody">bloody</span>, <span word="and">and</span> <span word="their">their</span> <span word="horns">horns</span> <span word="can">can</span> <span word="get">get</span> <span word="tangled">tangled</span> – “<span word="locked">locked</span>” <span word="into">into</span> <span word="one">one</span> <span word="another">another</span> – <span word="for">for</span> <span word="minutes">minutes</span> <span word="at">at</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="time">time</span> <span word="as">as</span> <span word="each">each</span> <span word="tries">tries</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="push">push</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="other">other</span> <span word="off">off</span>. <span word="And">And</span> <span word="as">as</span> <span word="they">they</span>’<span word="re">re</span> <span word="similar">similar</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="strength">strength</span>, <span word="each">each</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="able">able</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="stand">stand</span> <span word="their">their</span> <span word="ground">ground</span>...</p>
页:
[1]