Lay an egg?
<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="lay">lay</span> <span word="an">an</span> <span word="egg">egg</span>”, <span word="as">as</span> <span word="in">in</span>: “<span word="Flyers">Flyers</span> <span word="lay">lay</span> <span word="an">an</span> <span word="egg">egg</span> <span word="Sunday">Sunday</span>, <span word="drop">drop</span> <span word="yet">yet</span> <span word="another">another</span> <span word="contest">contest</span> <span word="at">at</span> <span word="UMass">UMass</span>” (<span word="Topix">Topix</span>.<span word="com">com</span>, <span word="January">January</span> 10, 2011).</p><p><span word="My">My</span> <span word="comments">comments</span>:</p><p><span word="What">What</span> <span word="eggs">eggs</span>? <span word="You">You</span> <span word="wonder">wonder</span>.</p><p><span word="Quit">Quit</span> <span word="wondering">wondering</span> <span word="or">or</span> <span word="looking">looking</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="them">them</span>. <span word="No">No</span> <span word="real">real</span> <span word="eggs">eggs</span> <span word="around">around</span> <span word="here">here</span>.</p><p><span word="By">By</span> <span word="saying">saying</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="Flyers">Flyers</span> “<span word="lay">lay</span> <span word="an">an</span> <span word="egg">egg</span>”, <span word="the">the</span> <span word="writer">writer</span> <span word="simply">simply</span> <span word="wants">wants</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="convey">convey</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="idea">idea</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="Flyers">Flyers</span>, <span word="a">a</span> <span word="basketball">basketball</span> <span word="team">team</span> <span word="from">from</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="University">University</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="Dayton">Dayton</span>, <span word="Ohio">Ohio</span> <span word="suffered">suffered</span> <span word="an">an</span> <span word="embarrassing">embarrassing</span> <span word="loss">loss</span> <span word="against">against</span> <span word="UMass">UMass</span>, (<span word="University">University</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="Massachusetts">Massachusetts</span>).</p><p><span word="I">I</span> <span word="don">don</span>’<span word="t">t</span> <span word="follow">follow</span> <span word="US">US</span> <span word="college">college</span> <span word="basketball">basketball</span>, <span word="but">but</span> <span word="I">I</span>’<span word="ve">ve</span> <span word="got">got</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="similar">similar</span> <span word="example">example</span> <span word="from">from</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="pro">pro</span> <span word="ball">ball</span>. <span word="A">A</span> <span word="few">few</span> <span word="years">years</span> <span word="ago">ago</span>, <span word="I">I</span> <span word="came">came</span> <span word="across">across</span> <span word="this">this</span> <span word="headline">headline</span> “<span word="Spurs">Spurs</span> <span word="Lay">Lay</span> <span word="an">an</span> <span word="Egg">Egg</span> <span word="at">at</span> <span word="Home">Home</span> <span word="Against">Against</span> <span word="Toronto">Toronto</span>”.</p><p><span word="That">That</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="game">game</span> <span word="played">played</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="December">December</span> 28, 2007, <span word="a">a</span> <span word="long">long</span> <span word="time">time</span> <span word="ago">ago</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="be">be</span> <span word="sure">sure</span>, <span word="in">in</span> <span word="which">which</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="San">San</span> <span word="Antonio">Antonio</span> <span word="Spurs">Spurs</span>, <span word="a">a</span> <span word="strong">strong</span> <span word="team">team</span>, <span word="a">a</span> <span word="powerhouse">powerhouse</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="fact">fact</span> <span word="from">from</span> <span word="Texas">Texas</span> <span word="lost">lost</span> <span word="their">their</span> <span word="home">home</span> <span word="game">game</span> <span word="against">against</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="Toronto">Toronto</span> <span word="Raptors">Raptors</span>, 83-73.</p><p><span word="The">The</span> <span word="Raptors">Raptors</span> <span word="are">are</span>, <span word="to">to</span> <span word="this">this</span> <span word="day">day</span>, <span word="widely">widely</span> <span word="considered">considered</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="be">be</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="weakling">weakling</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="NBA">NBA</span>, <span word="hence">hence</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="ridicule">ridicule</span> <span word="inferred">inferred</span> <span word="from">from</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="headline">headline</span>: <span word="Spurs">Spurs</span> <span word="Lay">Lay</span> <span word="an">an</span> <span word="Egg">Egg</span> <span word="at">at</span> <span word="Home">Home</span>.</p><p><span word="Anyways">Anyways</span>, <span word="the">the</span> <span word="idiom">idiom</span> “<span word="lay">lay</span> <span word="an">an</span> <span word="egg">egg</span>” <span word="means">means</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="someone">someone</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="embarrass">embarrass</span> <span word="or">or</span> <span word="disappoint">disappoint</span> <span word="with">with</span> <span word="their">their</span> <span word="performance">performance</span>. <span word="The">The</span> “<span word="egg">egg</span>” <span word="here">here</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="not">not</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="real">real</span> <span word="egg">egg</span>, <span word="as">as</span> <span word="from">from</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="chick">chick</span> <span word="or">or</span> <span word="duck">duck</span>, <span word="but">but</span> <span word="originally">originally</span> <span word="stands">stands</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="number">number</span> “0”, <span word="which">which</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="shaped">shaped</span> <span word="like">like</span> <span word="an">an</span> <span word="egg">egg</span>.</p><p><span word="In">In</span> <span word="China">China</span>, <span word="we">we</span> <span word="have">have</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="similar">similar</span> <span word="saying">saying</span> <span word="in">in</span> “<span word="he">he</span> <span word="scored">scored</span> <span word="an">an</span> <span word="egg">egg</span>”, <span word="say">say</span>, <span word="in">in</span> <span word="math">math</span>, <span word="meaning">meaning</span> <span word="he">he</span> <span word="scored">scored</span> 0 (<span word="zero">zero</span> <span word="points">points</span>) <span word="in">in</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="school">school</span> <span word="test">test</span> <span word="Same">Same</span> <span word="idea">idea</span>. <span word="In">In</span> <span word="English">English</span>, <span word="whenever">whenever</span> <span word="people">people</span> <span word="use">use</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="expression">expression</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="someone">someone</span> “<span word="laid">laid</span> <span word="an">an</span> <span word="egg">egg</span>”, <span word="you">you</span> <span word="may">may</span> <span word="infer">infer</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="they">they</span> <span word="failed">failed</span>, <span word="and">and</span> <span word="failed">failed</span> <span word="big">big</span> <span word="time">time</span>.</p>
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