Call their bluff?
<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="Politicians">Politicians</span> <span word="huff">huff</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="puff">puff</span> – <span word="markets">markets</span> <span word="call">call</span> <span word="their">their</span> <span word="bluff">bluff</span> (<span word="Reuters">Reuters</span>, <span word="August">August</span> 12, 2011).</p><p><span word="My">My</span> <span word="comments">comments</span>:</p><p><span word="Good">Good</span> <span word="question">question</span> – <span word="we">we</span> <span word="will">will</span> <span word="try">try</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="kill">kill</span> <span word="two">two</span> <span word="or">or</span> <span word="three">three</span> <span word="birds">birds</span> <span word="with">with</span> <span word="one">one</span> <span word="stone">stone</span> <span word="by">by</span> <span word="mastering">mastering</span> <span word="three">three</span> <span word="words">words</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="two">two</span> <span word="idioms">idioms</span> <span word="at">at</span> <span word="one">one</span> <span word="go">go</span>.</p><p><span word="The">The</span> <span word="three">three</span> <span word="words">words</span> <span word="are">are</span> “<span word="huff">huff</span>”, “<span word="puff">puff</span>” <span word="and">and</span> “<span word="bluff">bluff</span>”, <span word="the">the</span> <span word="two">two</span> <span word="idioms">idioms</span> <span word="being">being</span> “<span word="huff">huff</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="puff">puff</span>”, “<span word="call">call</span> <span word="their">their</span> <span word="bluff">bluff</span>”.</p><p><span word="First">First</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="three">three</span> “<span word="ff">ff</span>” <span word="words">words</span>.</p><p><span word="To">To</span> <span word="huff">huff</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="catch">catch</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="short">short</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="quick">quick</span> <span word="breaths">breaths</span>. <span word="The">The</span> <span word="puff">puff</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="let">let</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="air">air</span> <span word="out">out</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="an">an</span> <span word="equally">equally</span> <span word="short">short</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="hurried">hurried</span> <span word="manner">manner</span>. <span word="To">To</span> <span word="bluff">bluff</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="other">other</span> <span word="hand">hand</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="brag">brag</span>, <span word="exaggerate">exaggerate</span> <span word="one">one</span>’<span word="s">s</span> <span word="good">good</span> <span word="qualities">qualities</span>.</p><p><span word="Now">Now</span>, <span word="when">when</span> <span word="do">do</span> <span word="people">people</span> <span word="huff">huff</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="puff">puff</span>?</p><p><span word="Yes">Yes</span>, <span word="when">when</span> <span word="they">they</span>’<span word="re">re</span> <span word="exerting">exerting</span> <span word="themselves">themselves</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="getting">getting</span> <span word="tired">tired</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="exhausted">exhausted</span>. <span word="Hence">Hence</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="huff">huff</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="puff">puff</span> <span word="suggests">suggests</span> <span word="great">great</span> <span word="physical">physical</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="mental">mental</span> <span word="effort">effort</span>.</p><p><span word="To">To</span> <span word="call">call</span> <span word="someone">someone</span>’<span word="s">s</span> <span word="bluff">bluff</span>, <span word="on">on</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="other">other</span> <span word="hand">hand</span>, <span word="is">is</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="point">point</span> <span word="flat">flat</span> <span word="out">out</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="they">they</span>’<span word="re">re</span> <span word="bragging">bragging</span>, <span word="i">i</span>.<span word="e">e</span>. <span word="telling">telling</span> <span word="better">better</span> <span word="stories">stories</span> <span word="about">about</span> <span word="themselves">themselves</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="order">order</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="make">make</span> <span word="them">them</span> <span word="look">look</span> <span word="better">better</span>. <span word="Hence">Hence</span>, <span word="to">to</span> <span word="call">call</span> <span word="someone">someone</span>’<span word="s">s</span> <span word="bluff">bluff</span> <span word="suggests">suggests</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="they">they</span>’<span word="ve">ve</span> <span word="been">been</span> <span word="lying">lying</span>, <span word="deceiving">deceiving</span>, <span word="not">not</span> <span word="telling">telling</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="truth">truth</span> – <span word="in">in</span> <span word="other">other</span> <span word="words">words</span>, <span word="they">they</span>’<span word="re">re</span> <span word="not">not</span> <span word="as">as</span> <span word="good">good</span>, <span word="competent">competent</span> <span word="or">or</span> <span word="effective">effective</span> <span word="as">as</span> <span word="they">they</span> <span word="say">say</span> <span word="they">they</span> <span word="are">are</span>.</p><p><span word="In">In</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="top">top</span> <span word="example">example</span>, <span word="politicians">politicians</span>, <span word="whenever">whenever</span> <span word="they">they</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="described">described</span> <span word="as">as</span> <span word="huffing">huffing</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="puffing">puffing</span> <span word="as">as</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="matter">matter</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="fact">fact</span>, <span word="are">are</span> <span word="working">working</span> <span word="hard">hard</span> <span word="at">at</span> <span word="talking">talking</span> <span word="empty">empty</span> <span word="talks">talks</span>, <span word="promising">promising</span> <span word="many">many</span> <span word="measures">measures</span> <span word="they">they</span> <span word="say">say</span> <span word="they">they</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="taking">taking</span> <span word="or">or</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="about">about</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="take">take</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="order">order</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="improve">improve</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="economy">economy</span>.</p>
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