Talk:blood in the water
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RFV discussion[edit]
The following discussion has been moved from Wiktionary:Requests for verification.
This discussion is no longer live and is left here as an archive. Please do not modify this conversation, but feel free to discuss its conclusions.
Rfv-sense: Oz idiom "under pressure, in danger". I have added a noun PoS for "a situation attracting predators or adversaries." which I think is what was intended. DCDuring TALK 15:01, 5 August 2009 (UTC)
- Perhaps a reference to the "Blood in the Water" water polo match between Hungary and the USSR, at the 1956 Melbourne Olympics? Pingku 17:20, 5 August 2009 (UTC)
- 50+ years, though. Some of the entry made it seem more like a shark-sympathetic contributor trying to avoid adding to their bad rap by saying "shark". Oz is one of the lands of the Great White, after all. DCDuring TALK 17:43, 5 August 2009 (UTC)
- I'm thinking specifically about the usage note about sports commentary. Not every person in Oz is a sports fanatic, but the incident would certainly be familiar to any Australian sports commentator worth his/her salt. The shark aspect would have contributed to the water polo headline (which WP says was a beat-up). I don't suggest this is conclusive, but it's a theory. Pingku 18:22, 5 August 2009 (UTC)
- OK. I did a brief news search (NewsBank, Australian papers) and found: (1) explicit references to the water polo match; (2) general sports references on the lines of the shark metaphor and "smelling" victory; and (3) apparent puns to do with teams such as the "Cronulla Sharks" and "Townsville Crocs", related to (2). The latter two had no necessary connection with water. Pingku 19:37, 5 August 2009 (UTC)
- Can you draw a conclusion or should we wait for a native Ocker? DCDuring TALK 20:55, 5 August 2009 (UTC)
- OK. I did a brief news search (NewsBank, Australian papers) and found: (1) explicit references to the water polo match; (2) general sports references on the lines of the shark metaphor and "smelling" victory; and (3) apparent puns to do with teams such as the "Cronulla Sharks" and "Townsville Crocs", related to (2). The latter two had no necessary connection with water. Pingku 19:37, 5 August 2009 (UTC)
- As an Aussie (not particularly sporty, and not old enough to remember the Melbourne Olympics) I would conclude: (1) a reference to (and entry for) Blood in the Water (the water polo match) may be order; (2) the idiomatic term "blood in the water" is not solely Australian (I noticed a reference to Wall Street, for instance); and (3) the idiomatic definition should be revisited, from the general point of view of any competitive situation, and inclusive of the viewpoint of either the attacker or attacked. Pingku 21:31, 5 August 2009 (UTC)
- By all means, go for it. DCDuring TALK 22:53, 5 August 2009 (UTC)
- Done. I've removed "Idiom" (section name) and made it "Noun" (and "Proper noun" for the bloody water polo match). Any comments? Pingku 18:28, 6 August 2009 (UTC)
- By all means, go for it. DCDuring TALK 22:53, 5 August 2009 (UTC)
- As an Aussie (not particularly sporty, and not old enough to remember the Melbourne Olympics) I would conclude: (1) a reference to (and entry for) Blood in the Water (the water polo match) may be order; (2) the idiomatic term "blood in the water" is not solely Australian (I noticed a reference to Wall Street, for instance); and (3) the idiomatic definition should be revisited, from the general point of view of any competitive situation, and inclusive of the viewpoint of either the attacker or attacked. Pingku 21:31, 5 August 2009 (UTC)
- That would have been my expectation. blood in the water looks good without the challenged sense for general English. But perhaps some other Australian eyes should look at the Proper noun. Dmol? Hippietrail? I'm old enough but neither sporty nor Australian. DCDuring TALK 21:23, 14 August 2009 (UTC)
Striking. The sense was removed a very long time ago. —RuakhTALK 15:57, 28 February 2010 (UTC)