Comments on: Mexican standoff

By: Bob

Bob — Sun, 06 Jan 2013 19:23:48 +0000

Did you even read the article?

By: Jorge

Jorge — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 06:17:56 +0000

With all due respect, Carmen, it’s always better to type links or propely quote than to copypast directly from the wiktionary, especially if the uninteresting story has nothing to do with the origin of the expression (it does not mention when or how the term was used). Anyway, according to several comments here, the term was widely used before 1865.
Even though the origin of the expression is, most likely, unknown, I found the following article quite interesting: http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/MexicanStandoff

By: Dave

Dave — Tue, 03 Apr 2012 20:44:18 +0000

I always heard the roll of $1s with a $20 on the outside called a Jewish bankroll…
Pick whichever group you want to slur I guess

By: Carmen

Carmen — Thu, 01 Mar 2012 23:06:19 +0000

The term was used when, in 1865, the armed commerce raider “Shenandoah” of the Confederate States Navy dropped anchor in Hobson’s Bay, Williamstown (Melbourne) and was sliped for repairs to her shaft bearing. On close inspection, it became apparent that the ship had been renamed, its original name “Sea King” not quite obliterated. This ship had intercepted and destroyed 9 ships bound for US ports between Cape Town and Melbourne. Mr Wiliam Blanchard, the US consul based in Melbourne, requested that the Australian Governor Darling cease repair on this ‘pirate’ ship, resulting in 100 fully armed police and militia surrounding and preventing the re-launch of “Shenandoah”. The ship’s captain, Lt Waddel, promptly ordered the guns of his ship to be loaded and trained on Williamstown, causing the immediate official reaction of ordering the guns of Fort Gellibrand (a multiple battery) to be loaded and trained on “Shenandoah”.

By: Juanita

Juanita — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 19:53:46 +0000

I’ve been in a few modern standoffs IN Mexico, and it is true, nobody wins. These are usually minor, involving 2 cars coming from opposite directions on a one-lane road, for example. In one case someone I consider a grown-up man, refused to budge and got out of his car and walked up the hill (trying to have the last word, it would seem). The only problem was he left his two dogs and me in the vehicle, while other cars were piling up behind and everyone yelling to move, but neither car would back up. Finally I left, as the man was walking back down the hill with a baseball bat. You get the picture. In my humble opinion, it is two egos clashing with neither being willing to yield. A no-win situation.

By: Jeff

Jeff — Sun, 08 Jan 2012 05:06:05 +0000

No, the term wasn’t originated by Sergio Leone. It was in print long before he made any movies.

By: Mariachi

Mariachi — Sun, 30 Oct 2011 15:40:13 +0000

Hi, Thaks a lot for sharing, my name is Hector, from Chile. I love the Mexican Culture, I have a Mariachis Group here in Chile

By: Mexican

Mexican — Wed, 14 Sep 2011 02:01:48 +0000

I am a Mexican what Mexican standoff means is that no body wins every body looses is a Mexican trade you may think what ever you want about a Mexican but you do not want to be involve in a Mexican standoof because no body makes it, all ways blow my mind how certain people try to make sense of things that does not have anything to do with them or their culture.

By: EFREYNOLDS

EFREYNOLDS — Thu, 04 Aug 2011 00:11:30 +0000

just recently I used the phrase “mexican standoff”, I am asking if that is offensive to the Mexican culture because I lived in Juarez for three months and I would never want to offend my people. I am jewish, however, I feel I am not “jewish” but a person of all cultures. Whereever I am I absorb that culture and understand the meaning of community. I have a love of unity so I would never want to say anything to offend any ethnic group. If someone could give me an understanding where that came from I would be grateful. I read all your theorys, however, are there any historians out there?

By: David O.

David O. — Wed, 13 Jul 2011 22:39:14 +0000

I read in a book of Mexican history that during the period of 1821 to 1857 there were many instances of political factions in Mexico City assembling armed mobs and then staring at each other across the plaza for many hours, both sides unwilling to start something, or to pull out. That ended in 1857 with the outbreak of the Reform War.

By: Ben

Ben — Fri, 01 Jul 2011 03:52:09 +0000

Well some of you seem to forget history a little. Back in the day in the era of the wild west, cowboys, and bandits, mexicans road the wild west from texas to california and northern mexico. A lot of gun fights and confrontations probably lead to standoffs and it probably became famous becasue mexicans and their six shooters ended up in these situations like “mexican standoffs.”

O and i thought the last paragraph was a bite racist. mexican breakfast? a cigarette and water really? pff i dont know what kind of mexicans you know but the ones i know have feasts for breakfast its delicious.

By: Fred B

Fred B — Sat, 21 May 2011 23:30:54 +0000

At least 80 years ago and certainly 60 years ago, long before Italian produced western flicks, any American man or boy understood the phrase. It was used in many movies and western novels to describe an armed confrontation with no likely winner. These stand-offs might end in gunfire, but more likely the parties would disengage with nothing settled. Mexicans were not normally involved. It is certainly possible though that the term when first used in some early popular novel or movie a Mexican or Mexicans were parties.

I speculate that the Mexican was intended to denote a slightly exotic origin or experience for the person using the term, “You know what they call this down Mexico way” or to incorporate the historically accurate background of Mexico as a corrupt and violent country. In other times and places this might have been called a Turkish, Italian, Slavic or Spanish stand-off.