COINING A PHRASE....

We`re hearing a lot of new phrases these days, but I wonder how the phrase `to coin a phrase` came about. After days of painstaking research, I think the most convincing definition I discovered was "something that you say before you use a phrase which sounds slightly silly," an example being `He was, to coin a phrase, as sick as a parrot.`

In recent days, we have been exposed to phrases such as.....

"It was all within the rules."

"It was all cleared by the Fees Office."

"I`m stepping down to spend more time with my family."

"The country expect me to stay on and do the job."

"We need to sort out the problems before having an election."

"I will be standing down at the next election."

And on and on and on........

But they hope we will forget that it was they who made the rules. They hope we will overlook the probability that the Fees Office were only following orders. They think we believe it when they `coin the phrase` that indicates they are jumping before they are pushed. They expect us to believe that we would rather not have a General Election. They think we will also overlook the fact that in standing down at the next election they will reap the reward of a hefty `termination payment.` And on and on and on.........

The world of football is, of course, well known for its own phrases, some of which appear relevant to our current political situation. But I can`t see the good folk of this country being willing to draw a line in the sand and move on at the end of the day. The political game has been drawn into such disrepute that the tactics and formation need to change if we are to get back into the game with any chance of a result. And we need a new manager to take the club forward. To be fair.