kick once and for all

[Anonymous]

Hi,

Could anyone help mw with the following two sentences?

Thanks a lot.

1. The Vietnam Syndrome had been kicked once and for all.

2. Here we go- bring on the Krauts

 

[Tdol]

The Vietnam syndrome is, as I understand it, the worries about the negative effect a war can have on the American population at large. The sentence says that this has disappeared and they are prepared to accept casualties and deaths in wars and conflicts. (BTW, I'm not American)

'Kraut' is a slang term for Germans, coming from the pickled cabbage they eat (Sauerkraut). Bring them on means that the speaker is ready to fight or argure with them and is confident of winning. 'Here we go' is something sung by English football fans, so if this is British English, it is a jingoistic (highly nationalist) statement by someone ready for trouble and sure of victory.

BTW, if it is BE, then it is sure to be followed up by recording how the Germans beat us, especially if it's football. ;-)

 

[RonBee]

The Vietnam Syndrome concerns an attitude of defeatism, especially as regards the military. (The USA expended considerable resources in Vietnam but lost the war.)

The word Krauts was once a popular nickname (in the USA) for Germans, but that hasn't been the case for quite some time.

 

[RonBee]

'Kraut' is a slang term for Germans, coming from the pickled cabbage they eat (Sauerkraut). Bring them on means that the speaker is ready to fight or argure with them and is confident of winning. 'Here we go' is something sung by English football fans, so if this is British English, it is a jingoistic (highly nationalist) statement by someone ready for trouble and sure of victory.

Is Kraut used in BE? (I don't think it's used much here except perhaps by some older folk--the same people who would call Japanese Japs.)

 

[Tdol]

You hear it occasionally. The tabloid press might use it when trying to be rude. ;-|

 

[RonBee]

You hear it occasionally. The tabloid press might use it when trying to be rude. ;-|

Ah, now that makes sense.

:wink: