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