People who say missed a penalty when its been saved?

[stanwixman]

It really annoys me when sports commentators and people in the media refer to a saved penalty as a missed penalty! ie the goal keeper saves the ball - quite often people say the penalty was missed? it wasnt it was saved. If the penalty was missed the ball would be chipped over the goal or sent either side . I am in good company with this one as it used to annoy saint and greavesy too. Get it right in future guys and galls ta

[squarebear]

True. And also when people say the planes had a "near miss". They didn't have a near miss, it was a "near hit".

[Quizmonster]

A 'near miss' has been used in exactly the way we now use it since World War II, especially in military situations...ie as, in fact, a 'near hit'. It has, therefore, a reasonably venerable history although technically illogical.
I believe another element may also be involved in that people have corrupted an aviation term, 'air miss', which is just like a near miss only in the sky! When you put 'an' in front, the whole thing, 'an air miss', sounds just like 'a near miss'. Thus, when you hear or read that there was 'a near miss' on the approach to Heathrow, what almost certainly should have been said was 'an air miss'.

[stewey]

And if a fire-alarm went OFF, we wouldn't be able to hear it would we?

[Count_Emmup]

I too share Stan's annoyance at the above, but what annoys me more is the most mis-used term in football.

I refer to the 'hat-trick' - the dictionary defines it as "Three wickets or goals etc., scored in succession". Which means if anyone else scores between the first and second or second and third goals, whether an opponent or a team-mate then it's not a 'hat-trick'.

Only last week the papers were full of of a Manchester United player scoring a so-called 'hat-trick' - in fact it wasn't - an opponent had scored in between two of the goals!

[Count_Emmup]

Quizmonster is correct a 'near miss' is a miss that was near (or close); as opposed to missing by yards!

[stewey]

There is another interpretation of what you described, Count. If a player scores 3 goals in a game he has achieved a 'Hat Trick'; however, if he scores 3 goals with no intervening scores, his is said to have earned a 'Natural Hat Trick'...At least in the NHL, and that , interestingly, is where the terms originated.

[Count_Emmup]

NHL?

BTW most sources cite cricket as the origin of 'hat-trick'!

[stewey]

As I said in my previous post, Count, I was offering another interpretation. Also, in rereading it, I can see where I might have ruffled you slightly (cricket and all): there should be no 's' after 'term'. The term "Natural Hat Trick" originated with the NHL is what I meant.

[THECORBYLOON]

Count_Emmup the Chamber's Dictionary (online version) gives this as the definition of hat-trick "hat trick noun 1 cricket the taking of three wickets with three successive balls. 2 the scoring of three points, goals, etc in a single period of time or match. 3 the winning of three victories in a row."

[stewey]

So, Corby, where in your parachuting down to help the Count,is the definition of a 'natural hat trick?' I don't really care: I'm not even a sports fan. Frankly, Scarlet, I don't give a damn. I was just trying to keep a conversation going....Wow!!

[dundurn]

I think to deny a football player a "hat trick" on the grounds that someone scored in between two of his goals is a bit mean. Even in cricket a hat trick is defined as three wickets by successive deliveries by the same bowler. It doesn't have to be in the same over, and it still counts no matter how many wickets have fallen in between to another bowler or bowlers. A bowler would still be credited with a hat trick if he took one or two wickets at the end of a session and picked up the other two or one wickets at the start of his next session - conceivably on a different day.

[Loosehead]

When a penalty is saved then the opportunity to score has been missed. That's what they mean.

As above a near miss is the correct term it means that the planes missed but they where near each other at the time.

A proper hatrick is one left, one right and one head, they are very rare!

The hatrick is indeed a cricket term from the days when ther where gentlemen and players. If a player took 3 wickets it was traditional for him to be a llowed to pass the hat round as a bonus on top of his fee.