Dave's ESL Cafe's Student Discussion Forums

[Blossom]

I came across this today in the news.

It's been a long six months since the Patriots spanked another team in the Super Bowl, and Randy Hill is here to get you up to speed, including a certain egomaniac's behavior since Super Sunday and the further adventures of Ron Mexico.

Surely this does not mean the patriots actually hit the bottoms of another tean with their hands?

What does it mean?

[asterix]

No - it means they beat them at football. US football, not soccer.

[Blossom]

But they beat them and they spanked them?

Curious choice of words.

[bud]

Well, "spanked" would mean to me that they beat them soundly (i.e., they punished them). The only trouble with that is the Patriots won, but not until the last moments of the game. That is not spanking the other team as far as I'm concerned.

[Blossom]

I do not understand.

Do you mean that they beat them soundly? With their hands? On their bottoms? For punishment?

They are not naughty children so why were they spanked or punished?

[bud]

No. By "they beat them soundly" I meant "they won decisively." With a lot of time left in the game, the other team would have needed a miracle to win... To win decisively would seem like punishment, like a spanking, to the losing team - especially in a championship game, where both teams should be very good teams.

[Blossom]

Thanks.