Shot themselves in the foot?
<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="sentence">sentence</span>: <span word="Players">Players</span> <span word="believe">believe</span> <span word="they">they</span> <span word="have">have</span> “<span word="shot">shot</span> <span word="themselves">themselves</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="foot">foot</span>” <span word="after">after</span> <span word="failing">failing</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="win">win</span> <span word="their">their</span> <span word="first">first</span> <span word="two">two</span> <span word="matches">matches</span>.</p><p><span word="My">My</span> <span word="comments">comments</span>:</p><p><span word="In">In</span> <span word="other">other</span> <span word="words">words</span>, <span word="the">the</span> <span word="players">players</span> <span word="admit">admit</span> <span word="they">they</span> <span word="have">have</span> <span word="made">made</span> <span word="mistakes">mistakes</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="thus">thus</span> <span word="made">made</span> <span word="life">life</span> <span word="difficult">difficult</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="themselves">themselves</span>.</p><p>“<span word="Shot">Shot</span> <span word="themselves">themselves</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="foot">foot</span>” <span word="suggests">suggests</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="players">players</span> <span word="believe">believe</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="injury">injury</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="be">be</span> <span word="self">self</span>-<span word="inflicted">inflicted</span>. <span word="Had">Had</span> <span word="they">they</span> <span word="played">played</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="little">little</span> <span word="bit">bit</span> <span word="better">better</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="not">not</span> <span word="made">made</span> <span word="stupid">stupid</span> <span word="mistakes">mistakes</span>, <span word="they">they</span> <span word="probably">probably</span> <span word="could">could</span>’<span word="ve">ve</span> <span word="won">won</span> <span word="one">one</span> <span word="or">or</span> <span word="both">both</span> <span word="games">games</span>.</p><p><span word="Obviously">Obviously</span>, <span word="losing">losing</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="first">first</span> <span word="two">two</span> <span word="matches">matches</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="start">start</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="campaign">campaign</span> <span word="isn">isn</span>’<span word="t">t</span> <span word="ideal">ideal</span>, <span word="to">to</span> <span word="say">say</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="least">least</span>.</p><p><span word="Anyways">Anyways</span>, <span word="to">to</span> <span word="shoot">shoot</span> <span word="oneself">oneself</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="foot">foot</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="American">American</span> <span word="idiom">idiom</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="learn">learn</span> <span word="here">here</span>. <span word="Literally">Literally</span>, <span word="it">it</span> <span word="means">means</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="one">one</span> <span word="aims">aims</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="shot">shot</span> <span word="gun">gun</span> <span word="at">at</span> <span word="one">one</span>’<span word="s">s</span> <span word="own">own</span> <span word="foot">foot</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="pulls">pulls</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="trigger">trigger</span>.</p><p><span word="Needless">Needless</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="say">say</span>, <span word="for">for</span> <span word="something">something</span> <span word="like">like</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="happen">happen</span> <span word="it">it</span> <span word="has">has</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="be">be</span> <span word="by">by</span> <span word="accident">accident</span> <span word="as">as</span> <span word="no">no</span>-<span word="one">one</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="his">his</span> <span word="or">or</span> <span word="her">her</span> <span word="right">right</span> <span word="mind">mind</span> <span word="will">will</span> <span word="do">do</span> <span word="it">it</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="purpose">purpose</span>.</p><p><span word="Except">Except</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="soldiers">soldiers</span> <span word="did">did</span> <span word="do">do</span> <span word="it">it</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="purpose">purpose</span> – <span word="to">to</span> <span word="get">get</span> <span word="themselves">themselves</span> <span word="out">out</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="battlefield">battlefield</span>. <span word="Michael">Michael</span> <span word="Quinion">Quinion</span>, <span word="explaining">explaining</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="said">said</span> <span word="expression">expression</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="World">World</span> <span word="Wide">Wide</span> <span word="Words">Words</span>, <span word="writes">writes</span>:</p><p><span word="I">I</span> <span word="found">found</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="reference">reference</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="a">a</span> 1933 <span word="book">book</span>, <span word="Death">Death</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="Woods">Woods</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="Other">Other</span> <span word="Stories">Stories</span> <span word="by">by</span> <span word="Sherwood">Sherwood</span> <span word="Anderson">Anderson</span>. <span word="An">An</span> <span word="American">American</span> <span word="tells">tells</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="his">his</span> <span word="experiences">experiences</span> <span word="as">as</span> <span word="an">an</span> <span word="aviator">aviator</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="British">British</span> <span word="Army">Army</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="war">war</span>, <span word="in">in</span> <span word="which">which</span> <span word="he">he</span> <span word="suffered">suffered</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="bad">bad</span> <span word="crash">crash</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="taken">taken</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="hospital">hospital</span>: “<span word="The">The</span> <span word="fellow">fellow</span> <span word="who">who</span> <span word="had">had</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="bed">bed</span> <span word="next">next</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="mine">mine</span> <span word="had">had</span> <span word="shot">shot</span> <span word="himself">himself</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="foot">foot</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="avoid">avoid</span> <span word="going">going</span> <span word="into">into</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="battle">battle</span>. <span word="A">A</span> <span word="lot">lot</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="them">them</span> <span word="did">did</span> <span word="that">that</span>, <span word="but">but</span> <span word="why">why</span> <span word="they">they</span> <span word="picked">picked</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="their">their</span> <span word="own">own</span> <span word="feet">feet</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="way">way</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="beyond">beyond</span> <span word="me">me</span>. <span word="It">It</span>’<span word="s">s</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="nasty">nasty</span> <span word="place">place</span>, <span word="full">full</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="small">small</span> <span word="bones">bones</span>.” <span word="The">The</span> <span word="technique">technique</span> <span word="has">has</span> <span word="continued">continued</span> <span word="into">into</span> <span word="recent">recent</span> <span word="times">times</span>: <span word="hearings">hearings</span> <span word="held">held</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="November">November</span> 1969 <span word="into">into</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="My">My</span> <span word="Lai">Lai</span> <span word="massacre">massacre</span> <span word="during">during</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="Vietnam">Vietnam</span> <span word="War">War</span> <span word="were">were</span> <span word="told">told</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="one">one</span> <span word="soldier">soldier</span> <span word="had">had</span> “<span word="shot">shot</span> <span word="himself">himself</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="foot">foot</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="order">order</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="be">be</span> <span word="medivac">medivac</span>-<span word="ed">ed</span> <span word="out">out</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="area">area</span> <span word="so">so</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="he">he</span> <span word="would">would</span> <span word="not">not</span> <span word="have">have</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="participate">participate</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="slaughter">slaughter</span>.”</p>
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