Wikipedia - Benutzerbeiträge [de]

Mexican Standoff

2007-07-21T03:22:46Z

74.116.183.49: /* Examples in film and television */

A '''Mexican standoff''' is a [[stalemate]] or [[impasse]], a confrontation that neither side can seemingly win. In [[popular culture]], the Mexican standoff is usually portrayed as two (or more) opponents with [[gun]]s aimed at each other at close range. Due to heightened state of readiness, the time required to react is minimal, the opponent's response is unlikely to be prevented and likely to be effective. Knowing this, both opponents halt in self-preservation. Exacerbating the tension is that neither side wants to put down their weapons, for fear that their opponents will act as soon as mutual harm is no longer assured. This situation forces the participants to resolve the situation either by [[diplomacy]], [[Surrender (military)|surrender]], or a [[pre-emptive]] strike, when one is possible — or the involvement of other parties, allied with none or either of the opponents, which can complicate the optimal strategy much further and result in standoffs involving much more participants.

Discussions of the [[Soviet Union]]-[[United States]] [[nuclear weapon|nuclear]] confrontation during the [[Cold War]] frequently used the term, specifically in reference to the [[Cuban Missile Crisis]] of [[1962]]. Achieving such a standoff indefinitely is one of the goals of the doctrine of [[mutual assured destruction]].

This expression came into usage during the last decade of the [[19th century]], most likely originating in the [[Southwestern United States|American Southwest]], although the Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary claims that the term is of Australian origin.[http://dictionary.cambridge.org/define.asp?dict=CALD&key=50247] One possibility is that it may relate to the difficult and paradoxical social and economic conditions of 19th and early [[20th century]] [[Mexico]].

==Examples in film and television==
The Mexican standoff is now considered a movie [[cliché]] due to its frequent use in [[Spaghetti Western]]s and [[Action film|action movie]]s.

*''[[The Good, the Bad and the Ugly]]'' climaxes with the famous three-way standoff in the cemetery between the protagonists.
*The comedy series ''[[Stella (TV series)|Stella]]'' parodied the Mexican Standoff in the episode "Camping".
*The Stephen King book ''[[Wizard and Glass]]'', notable for its heavy Western influences, features a six-way Mexican standoff.
*[[Quentin Tarantino]], who makes no secret of his borrowing from the Western genre, has shown a particular affection for the Mexican standoff. His feature-film debut, ''[[Reservoir Dogs]]'', includes two standoffs: one between Mr. Pink and Mr. White, early in the film and the final climax: a classic three-way Mexican standoff between Mr. White, Nice Guy Eddie and Joe. ''[[Pulp Fiction]]'', also ended with a variation of a Mexican standoff, between characters played by [[John Travolta]], [[Samuel Jackson]], and [[Amanda Plummer]]. ''[[Kill Bill 2]]'' also includes a standoff near the end between [[The Bride]] and an assassin. ''[[True Romance]]'' includes a standoff between Lee's security men, the cops and the mobsters.
*The [[Wachowski Brothers]] incorporated a Mexican standoff in ''[[The Matrix Revolutions]]''. Trinity, Morpheus, and Seraph are attempting to bargain for Neo's life with the Merovingian in Club Hel. When made an offer they cannot accept, Trinity begins a brawl, grabs a gun, and points it directly at the Merovingian's forehead. All others in the room have a gun pointed at them, one at another.
*''[[Saving Private Ryan]]'' features a Mexican standoff between two squads of opposing soldiers on the battlefield. On their way to locate and rescue Private Ryan, Captain John H. Miller's squad of US Army Rangers came to a stop at a French town to rest. One of the Rangers accidentally knocked over a plank, which then slammed into the wall and broke it. This revealed a squad of German soldiers who were also resting on the other side of the wall, triggering the standoff. The two squads shouted for each other to surrender and threatened to open fire in their own languages. The Mexican standoff lasted until another group of Americans came to the rescue of Captain Miller's Rangers.
*A flashback scene from ''[[Munich (film)|Munich]]'' also featured a very brief Mexican standoff between an Israeli athlete, who managed to take an AK-47 from one of the Black September terrorists, and another Black September terrorist. The standoff ended when the latter promptly gunned down the former, who thought that the terrorist would surrender.
*[[John Woo]] incorporates Mexican Standoffs in most of his films, allowing it to become a trademark of his movies (as in ''[[Face/Off]]'' where [[John Travolta]] and [[Nicholas Cage]] end a long running gunfight with their pistols pointed at each other at close range).
*''[[Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest]]'' involves a Mexican-style standoff/swordfight between characters [[Jack Sparrow]], [[Will Turner]] and Commodore [[James Norrington]], and ''[[Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End]]'' features a 4 way dual-wielded Mexican Standoff, this time between Jack Sparrow, Will Turner, [[Elizabeth Swann]], and [[Hector Barbossa]].
* In ''[[The Simpsons]]'' episode "[[Moe Baby Blues]]", [[Maggie_Simpson|Maggie]] gets caught in the middle of an Italian-American Mexican Standoff.
* In ''[[Shanghai Noon]]'', Roy O'Bannon and Marshall Nathan Van Cleef have a Mexican standoff, with the Marshall even stating, "How about that? It's a Mexican standoff. Only we ain't got no Mexicans." Nathan Van Cleef's name is an homage to [[Lee Van Cleef]], who played the villain Sentenza in ''[[The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly]]'' and was involved in its Mexican standoff climax.

== See also ==
* [[Mutual assured destruction]] (MAD)
* [[Winner's curse]]
* [[Prisoner's Dilemma]]
* [[Chicken (game)]]
{{wiktionary}}

==External link==
*[http://www.everything2.com/index.pl?node_id=1762217 Explanation of detailed mechanics and Suitable strategies] at [[Everything2]]

[[Category:English idioms]]
[[Category:Film techniques]]
[[Category:Slang]]
[[Category:Violence]]

[[de:Mexikanisches Unentschieden]]
[[fr:Mexican standoff]]
[[he:תיקו מקסיקני]]
[[it:Mexican standoff]]
[[no:Meksikansk dilemma]]

Mexican Standoff

2007-07-20T02:59:50Z

74.116.183.49: /* Examples in film and television */

A '''Mexican standoff''' is a [[stalemate]] or [[impasse]], a confrontation that neither side can seemingly win. In [[popular culture]], the Mexican standoff is usually portrayed as two (or more) opponents with [[gun]]s aimed at each other at close range. Due to heightened state of readiness, the time required to react is minimal, the opponent's response is unlikely to be prevented and likely to be effective. Knowing this, both opponents halt in self-preservation. Exacerbating the tension is that neither side wants to put down their weapons, for fear that their opponents will act as soon as mutual harm is no longer assured. This situation forces the participants to resolve the situation either by [[diplomacy]], [[Surrender (military)|surrender]], or a [[pre-emptive]] strike, when one is possible — or the involvement of other parties, allied with none or either of the opponents, which can complicate the optimal strategy much further and result in standoffs involving much more participants.

Discussions of the [[Soviet Union]]-[[United States]] [[nuclear weapon|nuclear]] confrontation during the [[Cold War]] frequently used the term, specifically in reference to the [[Cuban Missile Crisis]] of [[1962]]. Achieving such a standoff indefinitely is one of the goals of the doctrine of [[mutual assured destruction]].

This expression came into usage during the last decade of the [[19th century]], most likely originating in the [[Southwestern United States|American Southwest]], although the Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary claims that the term is of Australian origin.[http://dictionary.cambridge.org/define.asp?dict=CALD&key=50247] One possibility is that it may relate to the difficult and paradoxical social and economic conditions of 19th and early [[20th century]] [[Mexico]].

==Examples in film and television==
The Mexican standoff is now considered a movie [[cliché]] due to its frequent use in [[Spaghetti Western]]s and [[Action film|action movie]]s.

*''[[The Good, the Bad and the Ugly]]'' climaxes with the famous three-way standoff in the cemetery between the protagonists.
*The comedy series ''[[Stella (TV series)|Stella]]'' parodied the Mexican Standoff in the episode "Camping".
*The Stephen King book ''[[Wizard and Glass]]'', notable for its heavy Western influences, features a six-way Mexican standoff.
*[[Quentin Tarantino]], who makes no secret of his borrowing from the Western genre, has shown a particular affection for the Mexican standoff. His feature-film debut, ''[[Reservoir Dogs]]'', includes two standoffs: one between Mr. Pink and Mr. White, early in the film and the final climax: a classic three-way Mexican standoff between Mr. White, Nice Guy Eddie and Joe. ''[[Pulp Fiction]]'', also ended with a variation of a Mexican standoff, between characters played by [[John Travolta]], [[Samuel Jackson]], and [[Amanda Plummer]]. ''[[Kill Bill 2]]'' also includes a standoff near the end between [[The Bride]] and an assassin. ''[[True Romance]]'' includes a standoff between Lee's security men, the cops and the mobsters.
*The [[Wachowski Brothers]] incorporated a Mexican standoff in ''[[The Matrix Revolutions]]''. Trinity, Morpheus, and Seraph are attempting to bargain for Neo's life with the Merovingian in Club Hel. When made an offer they cannot accept, Trinity begins a brawl, grabs a gun, and points it directly at the Merovingian's forehead. All others in the room have a gun pointed at them, one at another.
*''[[Saving Private Ryan]]'' features a Mexican standoff between two squads of opposing soldiers. On their way to locate and rescue Private Ryan, Captain John H. Miller's squad of US Army Rangers came to a stop at a French town to rest. One of the Rangers accidentally knocked over a plank, which then slammed into the wall and broke it. This revealed a squad of German soldiers who were also resting on the other side of the wall, triggering the standoff. The two squads shouted for each other to surrender and threatened to open fire in their own languages. The Mexican standoff lasted until another group of Americans came to the rescue of Captain Miller's Rangers.
*A flashback scene from ''[[Munich (film)|Munich]]'' also featured a very brief Mexican standoff between an Israeli athlete, who managed to take an AK-47 from one of the Black September terrorists, and another Black September terrorist. The standoff ended when the latter promptly gunned down the former, who thought that the terrorist would surrender.
*[[John Woo]] incorporates Mexican Standoffs in most of his films, allowing it to become a trademark of his movies (as in ''[[Face/Off]]'' where [[John Travolta]] and [[Nicholas Cage]] end a long running gunfight with their pistols pointed at each other at close range).
*''[[Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest]]'' involves a Mexican-style standoff/swordfight between characters [[Jack Sparrow]], [[Will Turner]] and Commodore [[James Norrington]], and ''[[Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End]]'' features a 4 way dual-wielded Mexican Standoff, this time between Jack Sparrow, Will Turner, [[Elizabeth Swann]], and [[Hector Barbossa]].
* In ''[[The Simpsons]]'' episode "[[Moe Baby Blues]]", [[Maggie_Simpson|Maggie]] gets caught in the middle of an Italian-American Mexican Standoff.
* In ''[[Shanghai Noon]]'', Roy O'Bannon and Marshall Nathan Van Cleef have a Mexican standoff, with the Marshall even stating, "How about that? It's a Mexican standoff. Only we ain't got no Mexicans." Nathan Van Cleef's name is an homage to [[Lee Van Cleef]], who played the villain Sentenza in ''[[The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly]]'' and was involved in its Mexican standoff climax.

== See also ==
* [[Mutual assured destruction]] (MAD)
* [[Winner's curse]]
* [[Prisoner's Dilemma]]
* [[Chicken (game)]]
{{wiktionary}}

==External link==
*[http://www.everything2.com/index.pl?node_id=1762217 Explanation of detailed mechanics and Suitable strategies] at [[Everything2]]

[[Category:English idioms]]
[[Category:Film techniques]]
[[Category:Slang]]
[[Category:Violence]]

[[de:Mexikanisches Unentschieden]]
[[fr:Mexican standoff]]
[[he:תיקו מקסיקני]]
[[it:Mexican standoff]]
[[no:Meksikansk dilemma]]

Mexican Standoff

2007-07-20T02:58:10Z

74.116.183.49: /* Examples in film and television */

A '''Mexican standoff''' is a [[stalemate]] or [[impasse]], a confrontation that neither side can seemingly win. In [[popular culture]], the Mexican standoff is usually portrayed as two (or more) opponents with [[gun]]s aimed at each other at close range. Due to heightened state of readiness, the time required to react is minimal, the opponent's response is unlikely to be prevented and likely to be effective. Knowing this, both opponents halt in self-preservation. Exacerbating the tension is that neither side wants to put down their weapons, for fear that their opponents will act as soon as mutual harm is no longer assured. This situation forces the participants to resolve the situation either by [[diplomacy]], [[Surrender (military)|surrender]], or a [[pre-emptive]] strike, when one is possible — or the involvement of other parties, allied with none or either of the opponents, which can complicate the optimal strategy much further and result in standoffs involving much more participants.

Discussions of the [[Soviet Union]]-[[United States]] [[nuclear weapon|nuclear]] confrontation during the [[Cold War]] frequently used the term, specifically in reference to the [[Cuban Missile Crisis]] of [[1962]]. Achieving such a standoff indefinitely is one of the goals of the doctrine of [[mutual assured destruction]].

This expression came into usage during the last decade of the [[19th century]], most likely originating in the [[Southwestern United States|American Southwest]], although the Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary claims that the term is of Australian origin.[http://dictionary.cambridge.org/define.asp?dict=CALD&key=50247] One possibility is that it may relate to the difficult and paradoxical social and economic conditions of 19th and early [[20th century]] [[Mexico]].

==Examples in film and television==
The Mexican standoff is now considered a movie [[cliché]] due to its frequent use in [[Spaghetti Western]]s and [[Action film|action movie]]s.

*''[[The Good, the Bad and the Ugly]]'' climaxes with the famous three-way standoff in the cemetery between the protagonists.
*The comedy series ''[[Stella (TV series)|Stella]]'' parodied the Mexican Standoff in the episode "Camping".
*The Stephen King book ''[[Wizard and Glass]]'', notable for its heavy Western influences, features a six-way Mexican standoff.
*[[Quentin Tarantino]], who makes no secret of his borrowing from the Western genre, has shown a particular affection for the Mexican standoff. His feature-film debut, ''[[Reservoir Dogs]]'', includes two standoffs: one between Mr. Pink and Mr. White, early in the film and the final climax: a classic three-way Mexican standoff between Mr. White, Nice Guy Eddie and Joe. ''[[Pulp Fiction]]'', also ended with a variation of a Mexican standoff, between characters played by [[John Travolta]], [[Samuel Jackson]], and [[Amanda Plummer]]. ''[[Kill Bill 2]]'' also includes a standoff near the end between [[The Bride]] and an assassin. ''[[True Romance]]'' includes a standoff between Lee's security men, the cops and the mobsters.
*The [[Wachowski Brothers]] incorporated a Mexican standoff in ''[[The Matrix Revolutions]]''. Trinity, Morpheus, and Seraph are attempting to bargain for Neo's life with the Merovingian in Club Hel. When made an offer they cannot accept, Trinity begins a brawl, grabs a gun, and points it directly at the Merovingian's forehead. All others in the room have a gun pointed at them, one at another.
*''[[Saving Private Ryan]]'' features a Mexican standoff between two squads of opposing soldiers. On their way to locate and rescue Private Ryan, Captain John H. Miller's squad of US Army Rangers came to a stop at a French town to rest. One of the Rangers accidentally knocked over a plank, which then slammed into the wall and broke it. This revealed a squad of German soldiers who were also resting on the other side of the wall, triggering the standoff. The two squads shouted for each other to surrender and threatened to open fire in their own languages. The Mexican standoff lasted until another group of Americans came to the rescue of Captain Miller's Rangers.
*A flashback scene from ''[[Munich(film)|Munich]]'' also featured a very brief Mexican standoff between an Israeli athlete, who managed to take an AK-47 from one of the Black September terrorists, and another Black September terrorist. The standoff ended when the latter promptly gunned down the former, who thought that the terrorist would surrender.
*[[John Woo]] incorporates Mexican Standoffs in most of his films, allowing it to become a trademark of his movies (as in ''[[Face/Off]]'' where [[John Travolta]] and [[Nicholas Cage]] end a long running gunfight with their pistols pointed at each other at close range).
*''[[Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest]]'' involves a Mexican-style standoff/swordfight between characters [[Jack Sparrow]], [[Will Turner]] and Commodore [[James Norrington]], and ''[[Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End]]'' features a 4 way dual-wielded Mexican Standoff, this time between Jack Sparrow, Will Turner, [[Elizabeth Swann]], and [[Hector Barbossa]].
* In ''[[The Simpsons]]'' episode "[[Moe Baby Blues]]", [[Maggie_Simpson|Maggie]] gets caught in the middle of an Italian-American Mexican Standoff.
* In ''[[Shanghai Noon]]'', Roy O'Bannon and Marshall Nathan Van Cleef have a Mexican standoff, with the Marshall even stating, "How about that? It's a Mexican standoff. Only we ain't got no Mexicans." Nathan Van Cleef's name is an homage to [[Lee Van Cleef]], who played the villain Sentenza in ''[[The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly]]'' and was involved in its Mexican standoff climax.

== See also ==
* [[Mutual assured destruction]] (MAD)
* [[Winner's curse]]
* [[Prisoner's Dilemma]]
* [[Chicken (game)]]
{{wiktionary}}

==External link==
*[http://www.everything2.com/index.pl?node_id=1762217 Explanation of detailed mechanics and Suitable strategies] at [[Everything2]]

[[Category:English idioms]]
[[Category:Film techniques]]
[[Category:Slang]]
[[Category:Violence]]

[[de:Mexikanisches Unentschieden]]
[[fr:Mexican standoff]]
[[he:תיקו מקסיקני]]
[[it:Mexican standoff]]
[[no:Meksikansk dilemma]]

Mexican Standoff

2007-07-19T23:59:33Z

74.116.183.49: /* Examples in film and television */

A '''Mexican standoff''' is a [[stalemate]] or [[impasse]], a confrontation that neither side can seemingly win. In [[popular culture]], the Mexican standoff is usually portrayed as two (or more) opponents with [[gun]]s aimed at each other at close range. Due to heightened state of readiness, the time required to react is minimal, the opponent's response is unlikely to be prevented and likely to be effective. Knowing this, both opponents halt in self-preservation. Exacerbating the tension is that neither side wants to put down their weapons, for fear that their opponents will act as soon as mutual harm is no longer assured. This situation forces the participants to resolve the situation either by [[diplomacy]], [[Surrender (military)|surrender]], or a [[pre-emptive]] strike, when one is possible — or the involvement of other parties, allied with none or either of the opponents, which can complicate the optimal strategy much further and result in standoffs involving much more participants.

Discussions of the [[Soviet Union]]-[[United States]] [[nuclear weapon|nuclear]] confrontation during the [[Cold War]] frequently used the term, specifically in reference to the [[Cuban Missile Crisis]] of [[1962]]. Achieving such a standoff indefinitely is one of the goals of the doctrine of [[mutual assured destruction]].

This expression came into usage during the last decade of the [[19th century]], most likely originating in the [[Southwestern United States|American Southwest]], although the Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary claims that the term is of Australian origin.[http://dictionary.cambridge.org/define.asp?dict=CALD&key=50247] One possibility is that it may relate to the difficult and paradoxical social and economic conditions of 19th and early [[20th century]] [[Mexico]].

==Examples in film and television==
The Mexican standoff is now considered a movie [[cliché]] due to its frequent use in [[Spaghetti Western]]s and [[Action film|action movie]]s.

*''[[The Good, the Bad and the Ugly]]'' climaxes with the famous three-way standoff in the cemetery between the protagonists.
*The comedy series ''[[Stella (TV series)|Stella]]'' parodied the Mexican Standoff in the episode "Camping".
*The Stephen King book ''[[Wizard and Glass]]'', notable for its heavy Western influences, features a six-way Mexican standoff.
*[[Quentin Tarantino]], who makes no secret of his borrowing from the Western genre, has shown a particular affection for the Mexican standoff. His feature-film debut, ''[[Reservoir Dogs]]'', includes two standoffs: one between Mr. Pink and Mr. White, early in the film and the final climax: a classic three-way Mexican standoff between Mr. White, Nice Guy Eddie and Joe. ''[[Pulp Fiction]]'', also ended with a variation of a Mexican standoff, between characters played by [[John Travolta]], [[Samuel Jackson]], and [[Amanda Plummer]]. ''[[Kill Bill 2]]'' also includes a standoff near the end between [[The Bride]] and an assassin. ''[[True Romance]]'' includes a standoff between Lee's security men, the cops and the mobsters.
*The [[Wachowski Brothers]] incorporated a Mexican standoff in ''[[The Matrix Revolutions]]''. Trinity, Morpheus, and Seraph are attempting to bargain for Neo's life with the Merovingian in Club Hel. When made an offer they cannot accept, Trinity begins a brawl, grabs a gun, and points it directly at the Merovingian's forehead. All others in the room have a gun pointed at them, one at another.
*''[[Saving Private Ryan]]'' features a Mexican standoff between two squads of opposing soldiers. On their way to locate and rescue Private Ryan, Captain John H. Miller's squad of US Army Rangers came to a stop at a French town to rest. One of the Rangers accidentally knocked over a plank, which then slammed into the wall and broke it. This revealed a squad of German soldiers who were also resting on the other side of the wall, triggering the standoff. The two squads shouted for each other to surrender and threatened to open fire in their own languages. The Mexican standoff lasted until another group of Americans came to the rescue of Captain Miller's Rangers.
*[[John Woo]] incorporates Mexican Standoffs in most of his films, allowing it to become a trademark of his movies (as in ''[[Face/Off]]'' where [[John Travolta]] and [[Nicholas Cage]] end a long running gunfight with their pistols pointed at each other at close range).
*''[[Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest]]'' involves a Mexican-style standoff/swordfight between characters [[Jack Sparrow]], [[Will Turner]] and Commodore [[James Norrington]], and ''[[Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End]]'' features a 4 way dual-wielded Mexican Standoff, this time between Jack Sparrow, Will Turner, [[Elizabeth Swann]], and [[Hector Barbossa]].
* In ''[[The Simpsons]]'' episode "[[Moe Baby Blues]]", [[Maggie_Simpson|Maggie]] gets caught in the middle of an Italian-American Mexican Standoff.
* In ''[[Shanghai Noon]]'', Roy O'Bannon and Marshall Nathan Van Cleef have a Mexican standoff, with the Marshall even stating, "How about that? It's a Mexican standoff. Only we ain't got no Mexicans." Nathan Van Cleef's name is an homage to [[Lee Van Cleef]], who played the villain Sentenza in ''[[The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly]]'' and was involved in its Mexican standoff climax.

== See also ==
* [[Mutual assured destruction]] (MAD)
* [[Winner's curse]]
* [[Prisoner's Dilemma]]
* [[Chicken (game)]]
{{wiktionary}}

==External link==
*[http://www.everything2.com/index.pl?node_id=1762217 Explanation of detailed mechanics and Suitable strategies] at [[Everything2]]

[[Category:English idioms]]
[[Category:Film techniques]]
[[Category:Slang]]
[[Category:Violence]]

[[de:Mexikanisches Unentschieden]]
[[fr:Mexican standoff]]
[[he:תיקו מקסיקני]]
[[it:Mexican standoff]]
[[no:Meksikansk dilemma]]

Mexican Standoff

2007-07-19T23:58:33Z

74.116.183.49: /* Examples in film and television */

A '''Mexican standoff''' is a [[stalemate]] or [[impasse]], a confrontation that neither side can seemingly win. In [[popular culture]], the Mexican standoff is usually portrayed as two (or more) opponents with [[gun]]s aimed at each other at close range. Due to heightened state of readiness, the time required to react is minimal, the opponent's response is unlikely to be prevented and likely to be effective. Knowing this, both opponents halt in self-preservation. Exacerbating the tension is that neither side wants to put down their weapons, for fear that their opponents will act as soon as mutual harm is no longer assured. This situation forces the participants to resolve the situation either by [[diplomacy]], [[Surrender (military)|surrender]], or a [[pre-emptive]] strike, when one is possible — or the involvement of other parties, allied with none or either of the opponents, which can complicate the optimal strategy much further and result in standoffs involving much more participants.

Discussions of the [[Soviet Union]]-[[United States]] [[nuclear weapon|nuclear]] confrontation during the [[Cold War]] frequently used the term, specifically in reference to the [[Cuban Missile Crisis]] of [[1962]]. Achieving such a standoff indefinitely is one of the goals of the doctrine of [[mutual assured destruction]].

This expression came into usage during the last decade of the [[19th century]], most likely originating in the [[Southwestern United States|American Southwest]], although the Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary claims that the term is of Australian origin.[http://dictionary.cambridge.org/define.asp?dict=CALD&key=50247] One possibility is that it may relate to the difficult and paradoxical social and economic conditions of 19th and early [[20th century]] [[Mexico]].

==Examples in film and television==
The Mexican standoff is now considered a movie [[cliché]] due to its frequent use in [[Spaghetti Western]]s and [[Action film|action movie]]s.

*''[[The Good, the Bad and the Ugly]]'' climaxes with the famous three-way standoff in the cemetery between the protagonists.
*The comedy series ''[[Stella (TV series)|Stella]]'' parodied the Mexican Standoff in the episode "Camping".
*The Stephen King book ''[[Wizard and Glass]]'', notable for its heavy Western influences, features a six-way Mexican standoff.
*[[Quentin Tarantino]], who makes no secret of his borrowing from the Western genre, has shown a particular affection for the Mexican standoff. His feature-film debut, ''[[Reservoir Dogs]]'', includes two standoffs: one between Mr. Pink and Mr. White, early in the film and the final climax: a classic three-way Mexican standoff between Mr. White, Nice Guy Eddie and Joe. ''[[Pulp Fiction]]'', also ended with a variation of a Mexican standoff, between characters played by [[John Travolta]], [[Samuel Jackson]], and [[Amanda Plummer]]. ''[[Kill Bill 2]]'' also includes a standoff near the end between [[The Bride]] and an assassin. ''[[True Romance]]'' includes a standoff between Lee's security men, the cops and the mobsters.
*The [[Wachowski Brothers]] incorporated a Mexican standoff in ''[[The Matrix Revolutions]]''. Trinity, Morpheus, and Seraph are attempting to bargain for Neo's life with the Merovingian in Club Hel. When made an offer they cannot accept, Trinity begins a brawl, grabs a gun, and points it directly at the Merovingian's forehead. All others in the room have a gun pointed at them, one at another.
*''[[Saving Private Ryan]]'' features a Mexican standoff between two squads of opposing soldiers. On their way to locate and rescue Private Ryan, Captain John H. Miller's squad of US Army Rangers came to a stop at a French town to rest. One of the Rangers accidentally knocked over a plank, which then slammed into the wall and broke it. This revealed a squad of German soldiers who were also resting on the other side of the wall, triggering the standoff. The two squads shouted for each other to surrender and threatening to open fire in their own languages. The Mexican standoff lasted until another group of Americans came to the rescue of Captain Miller's Rangers.
*[[John Woo]] incorporates Mexican Standoffs in most of his films, allowing it to become a trademark of his movies (as in ''[[Face/Off]]'' where [[John Travolta]] and [[Nicholas Cage]] end a long running gunfight with their pistols pointed at each other at close range).
*''[[Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest]]'' involves a Mexican-style standoff/swordfight between characters [[Jack Sparrow]], [[Will Turner]] and Commodore [[James Norrington]], and ''[[Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End]]'' features a 4 way dual-wielded Mexican Standoff, this time between Jack Sparrow, Will Turner, [[Elizabeth Swann]], and [[Hector Barbossa]].
* In ''[[The Simpsons]]'' episode "[[Moe Baby Blues]]", [[Maggie_Simpson|Maggie]] gets caught in the middle of an Italian-American Mexican Standoff.
* In ''[[Shanghai Noon]]'', Roy O'Bannon and Marshall Nathan Van Cleef have a Mexican standoff, with the Marshall even stating, "How about that? It's a Mexican standoff. Only we ain't got no Mexicans." Nathan Van Cleef's name is an homage to [[Lee Van Cleef]], who played the villain Sentenza in ''[[The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly]]'' and was involved in its Mexican standoff climax.

== See also ==
* [[Mutual assured destruction]] (MAD)
* [[Winner's curse]]
* [[Prisoner's Dilemma]]
* [[Chicken (game)]]
{{wiktionary}}

==External link==
*[http://www.everything2.com/index.pl?node_id=1762217 Explanation of detailed mechanics and Suitable strategies] at [[Everything2]]

[[Category:English idioms]]
[[Category:Film techniques]]
[[Category:Slang]]
[[Category:Violence]]

[[de:Mexikanisches Unentschieden]]
[[fr:Mexican standoff]]
[[he:תיקו מקסיקני]]
[[it:Mexican standoff]]
[[no:Meksikansk dilemma]]

Mexican Standoff

2007-07-19T23:57:53Z

74.116.183.49: /* Examples in film and television */

A '''Mexican standoff''' is a [[stalemate]] or [[impasse]], a confrontation that neither side can seemingly win. In [[popular culture]], the Mexican standoff is usually portrayed as two (or more) opponents with [[gun]]s aimed at each other at close range. Due to heightened state of readiness, the time required to react is minimal, the opponent's response is unlikely to be prevented and likely to be effective. Knowing this, both opponents halt in self-preservation. Exacerbating the tension is that neither side wants to put down their weapons, for fear that their opponents will act as soon as mutual harm is no longer assured. This situation forces the participants to resolve the situation either by [[diplomacy]], [[Surrender (military)|surrender]], or a [[pre-emptive]] strike, when one is possible — or the involvement of other parties, allied with none or either of the opponents, which can complicate the optimal strategy much further and result in standoffs involving much more participants.

Discussions of the [[Soviet Union]]-[[United States]] [[nuclear weapon|nuclear]] confrontation during the [[Cold War]] frequently used the term, specifically in reference to the [[Cuban Missile Crisis]] of [[1962]]. Achieving such a standoff indefinitely is one of the goals of the doctrine of [[mutual assured destruction]].

This expression came into usage during the last decade of the [[19th century]], most likely originating in the [[Southwestern United States|American Southwest]], although the Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary claims that the term is of Australian origin.[http://dictionary.cambridge.org/define.asp?dict=CALD&key=50247] One possibility is that it may relate to the difficult and paradoxical social and economic conditions of 19th and early [[20th century]] [[Mexico]].

==Examples in film and television==
The Mexican standoff is now considered a movie [[cliché]] due to its frequent use in [[Spaghetti Western]]s and [[Action film|action movie]]s.

*''[[The Good, the Bad and the Ugly]]'' climaxes with the famous three-way standoff in the cemetery between the protagonists.
*The comedy series ''[[Stella (TV series)|Stella]]'' parodied the Mexican Standoff in the episode "Camping".
*The Stephen King book ''[[Wizard and Glass]]'', notable for its heavy Western influences, features a six-way Mexican standoff.
*[[Quentin Tarantino]], who makes no secret of his borrowing from the Western genre, has shown a particular affection for the Mexican standoff. His feature-film debut, ''[[Reservoir Dogs]]'', includes two standoffs: one between Mr. Pink and Mr. White, early in the film and the final climax: a classic three-way Mexican standoff between Mr. White, Nice Guy Eddie and Joe. ''[[Pulp Fiction]]'', also ended with a variation of a Mexican standoff, between characters played by [[John Travolta]], [[Samuel Jackson]], and [[Amanda Plummer]]. ''[[Kill Bill 2]]'' also includes a standoff near the end between [[The Bride]] and an assassin. ''[[True Romance]]'' includes a standoff between Lee's security men, the cops and the mobsters.
*The [[Wachowski Brothers]] incorporated a Mexican standoff in [[The Matrix Revolutions]]. Trinity, Morpheus, and Seraph are attempting to bargain for Neo's life with the Merovingian in Club Hel. When made an offer they cannot accept, Trinity begins a brawl, grabs a gun, and points it directly at the Merovingian's forehead. All others in the room have a gun pointed at them, one at another.
*[[Saving Private Ryan]] features a Mexican standoff between two squads of opposing soldiers. On their way to locate and rescue Private Ryan, Captain John H. Miller's squad of US Army Rangers came to a stop at a French town to rest. One of the Rangers accidentally knocked over a plank, which then slammed into the wall and broke it. This revealed a squad of German soldiers who were also resting on the other side of the wall, triggering the standoff. The two squads shouted for each other to surrender and threatening to open fire in their own languages. The Mexican standoff lasted until another group of Americans came to the rescue of Captain Miller's Rangers.
*[[John Woo]] incorporates Mexican Standoffs in most of his films, allowing it to become a trademark of his movies (as in ''[[Face/Off]]'' where [[John Travolta]] and [[Nicholas Cage]] end a long running gunfight with their pistols pointed at each other at close range).
*''[[Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest]]'' involves a Mexican-style standoff/swordfight between characters [[Jack Sparrow]], [[Will Turner]] and Commodore [[James Norrington]], and ''[[Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End]]'' features a 4 way dual-wielded Mexican Standoff, this time between Jack Sparrow, Will Turner, [[Elizabeth Swann]], and [[Hector Barbossa]].
* In ''[[The Simpsons]]'' episode "[[Moe Baby Blues]]", [[Maggie_Simpson|Maggie]] gets caught in the middle of an Italian-American Mexican Standoff.
* In ''[[Shanghai Noon]]'', Roy O'Bannon and Marshall Nathan Van Cleef have a Mexican standoff, with the Marshall even stating, "How about that? It's a Mexican standoff. Only we ain't got no Mexicans." Nathan Van Cleef's name is an homage to [[Lee Van Cleef]], who played the villain Sentenza in ''[[The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly]]'' and was involved in its Mexican standoff climax.

== See also ==
* [[Mutual assured destruction]] (MAD)
* [[Winner's curse]]
* [[Prisoner's Dilemma]]
* [[Chicken (game)]]
{{wiktionary}}

==External link==
*[http://www.everything2.com/index.pl?node_id=1762217 Explanation of detailed mechanics and Suitable strategies] at [[Everything2]]

[[Category:English idioms]]
[[Category:Film techniques]]
[[Category:Slang]]
[[Category:Violence]]

[[de:Mexikanisches Unentschieden]]
[[fr:Mexican standoff]]
[[he:תיקו מקסיקני]]
[[it:Mexican standoff]]
[[no:Meksikansk dilemma]]

Mexican Standoff

2007-07-19T23:57:11Z

74.116.183.49: /* Examples in film and television */

A '''Mexican standoff''' is a [[stalemate]] or [[impasse]], a confrontation that neither side can seemingly win. In [[popular culture]], the Mexican standoff is usually portrayed as two (or more) opponents with [[gun]]s aimed at each other at close range. Due to heightened state of readiness, the time required to react is minimal, the opponent's response is unlikely to be prevented and likely to be effective. Knowing this, both opponents halt in self-preservation. Exacerbating the tension is that neither side wants to put down their weapons, for fear that their opponents will act as soon as mutual harm is no longer assured. This situation forces the participants to resolve the situation either by [[diplomacy]], [[Surrender (military)|surrender]], or a [[pre-emptive]] strike, when one is possible — or the involvement of other parties, allied with none or either of the opponents, which can complicate the optimal strategy much further and result in standoffs involving much more participants.

Discussions of the [[Soviet Union]]-[[United States]] [[nuclear weapon|nuclear]] confrontation during the [[Cold War]] frequently used the term, specifically in reference to the [[Cuban Missile Crisis]] of [[1962]]. Achieving such a standoff indefinitely is one of the goals of the doctrine of [[mutual assured destruction]].

This expression came into usage during the last decade of the [[19th century]], most likely originating in the [[Southwestern United States|American Southwest]], although the Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary claims that the term is of Australian origin.[http://dictionary.cambridge.org/define.asp?dict=CALD&key=50247] One possibility is that it may relate to the difficult and paradoxical social and economic conditions of 19th and early [[20th century]] [[Mexico]].

==Examples in film and television==
The Mexican standoff is now considered a movie [[cliché]] due to its frequent use in [[Spaghetti Western]]s and [[Action film|action movie]]s.

*''[[The Good, the Bad and the Ugly]]'' climaxes with the famous three-way standoff in the cemetery between the protagonists.
*The comedy series ''[[Stella (TV series)|Stella]]'' parodied the Mexican Standoff in the episode "Camping".
*The Stephen King book ''[[Wizard and Glass]]'', notable for its heavy Western influences, features a six-way Mexican standoff.
*[[Quentin Tarantino]], who makes no secret of his borrowing from the Western genre, has shown a particular affection for the Mexican standoff. His feature-film debut, ''[[Reservoir Dogs]]'', includes two standoffs: one between Mr. Pink and Mr. White, early in the film and the final climax: a classic three-way Mexican standoff between Mr. White, Nice Guy Eddie and Joe. ''[[Pulp Fiction]]'', also ended with a variation of a Mexican standoff, between characters played by [[John Travolta]], [[Samuel Jackson]], and [[Amanda Plummer]]. ''[[Kill Bill 2]]'' also includes a standoff near the end between [[The Bride]] and an assassin. ''[[True Romance]]'' includes a standoff between Lee's security men, the cops and the mobsters.
*The [[Wachowski Brothers]] incorporated a Mexican standoff in [[The Matrix Revolutions]]. Trinity, Morpheus, and Seraph are attempting to bargain for Neo's life with the Merovingian in Club Hel. When made an offer they cannot accept, Trinity begins a brawl, grabs a gun, and points it directly at the Merovingian's forehead. All others in the room have a gun pointed at them, one at another.
*[[Saving Private Ryan]] features a Mexican standoff between two squads of opposing soldiers. On their way to locate and rescue Private Ryan, Captain John H. Miller's squad of US Army Ranger came to a stop at a French town to rest. One of the Rangers resting accidentally knocked over a plank, which then slammed into the wall and broke it. This revealed a squad of German soldiers who were also resting on the other side of the wall, triggering the standoff. The two squads shouted for each other to surrender and threatening to open fire in their own languages. The Mexican standoff lasted until another group of Americans came to the rescue of Captain Miller's Rangers.
*[[John Woo]] incorporates Mexican Standoffs in most of his films, allowing it to become a trademark of his movies (as in ''[[Face/Off]]'' where [[John Travolta]] and [[Nicholas Cage]] end a long running gunfight with their pistols pointed at each other at close range).
*''[[Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest]]'' involves a Mexican-style standoff/swordfight between characters [[Jack Sparrow]], [[Will Turner]] and Commodore [[James Norrington]], and ''[[Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End]]'' features a 4 way dual-wielded Mexican Standoff, this time between Jack Sparrow, Will Turner, [[Elizabeth Swann]], and [[Hector Barbossa]].
* In ''[[The Simpsons]]'' episode "[[Moe Baby Blues]]", [[Maggie_Simpson|Maggie]] gets caught in the middle of an Italian-American Mexican Standoff.
* In ''[[Shanghai Noon]]'', Roy O'Bannon and Marshall Nathan Van Cleef have a Mexican standoff, with the Marshall even stating, "How about that? It's a Mexican standoff. Only we ain't got no Mexicans." Nathan Van Cleef's name is an homage to [[Lee Van Cleef]], who played the villain Sentenza in ''[[The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly]]'' and was involved in its Mexican standoff climax.

== See also ==
* [[Mutual assured destruction]] (MAD)
* [[Winner's curse]]
* [[Prisoner's Dilemma]]
* [[Chicken (game)]]
{{wiktionary}}

==External link==
*[http://www.everything2.com/index.pl?node_id=1762217 Explanation of detailed mechanics and Suitable strategies] at [[Everything2]]

[[Category:English idioms]]
[[Category:Film techniques]]
[[Category:Slang]]
[[Category:Violence]]

[[de:Mexikanisches Unentschieden]]
[[fr:Mexican standoff]]
[[he:תיקו מקסיקני]]
[[it:Mexican standoff]]
[[no:Meksikansk dilemma]]

Mexican Standoff

2007-07-19T23:54:55Z

74.116.183.49: /* Examples in film and television */

A '''Mexican standoff''' is a [[stalemate]] or [[impasse]], a confrontation that neither side can seemingly win. In [[popular culture]], the Mexican standoff is usually portrayed as two (or more) opponents with [[gun]]s aimed at each other at close range. Due to heightened state of readiness, the time required to react is minimal, the opponent's response is unlikely to be prevented and likely to be effective. Knowing this, both opponents halt in self-preservation. Exacerbating the tension is that neither side wants to put down their weapons, for fear that their opponents will act as soon as mutual harm is no longer assured. This situation forces the participants to resolve the situation either by [[diplomacy]], [[Surrender (military)|surrender]], or a [[pre-emptive]] strike, when one is possible — or the involvement of other parties, allied with none or either of the opponents, which can complicate the optimal strategy much further and result in standoffs involving much more participants.

Discussions of the [[Soviet Union]]-[[United States]] [[nuclear weapon|nuclear]] confrontation during the [[Cold War]] frequently used the term, specifically in reference to the [[Cuban Missile Crisis]] of [[1962]]. Achieving such a standoff indefinitely is one of the goals of the doctrine of [[mutual assured destruction]].

This expression came into usage during the last decade of the [[19th century]], most likely originating in the [[Southwestern United States|American Southwest]], although the Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary claims that the term is of Australian origin.[http://dictionary.cambridge.org/define.asp?dict=CALD&key=50247] One possibility is that it may relate to the difficult and paradoxical social and economic conditions of 19th and early [[20th century]] [[Mexico]].

==Examples in film and television==
The Mexican standoff is now considered a movie [[cliché]] due to its frequent use in [[Spaghetti Western]]s and [[Action film|action movie]]s.

*''[[The Good, the Bad and the Ugly]]'' climaxes with the famous three-way standoff in the cemetery between the protagonists.
*The comedy series ''[[Stella (TV series)|Stella]]'' parodied the Mexican Standoff in the episode "Camping".
*The Stephen King book ''[[Wizard and Glass]]'', notable for its heavy Western influences, features a six-way Mexican standoff.
*[[Quentin Tarantino]], who makes no secret of his borrowing from the Western genre, has shown a particular affection for the Mexican standoff. His feature-film debut, ''[[Reservoir Dogs]]'', includes two standoffs: one between Mr. Pink and Mr. White, early in the film and the final climax: a classic three-way Mexican standoff between Mr. White, Nice Guy Eddie and Joe. ''[[Pulp Fiction]]'', also ended with a variation of a Mexican standoff, between characters played by [[John Travolta]], [[Samuel Jackson]], and [[Amanda Plummer]]. ''[[Kill Bill 2]]'' also includes a standoff near the end between [[The Bride]] and an assassin. ''[[True Romance]]'' includes a standoff between Lee's security men, the cops and the mobsters.
*The [[Wachowski Brothers]] incorporated a Mexican standoff in [[The Matrix Revolutions]]. Trinity, Morpheus, and Seraph are attempting to bargain for Neo's life with the Merovingian in Club Hel. When made an offer they cannot accept, Trinity begins a brawl, grabs a gun, and points it directly at the Merovingian's forehead. All others in the room have a gun pointed at them, one at another.
*[[Saving Private Ryan]] features a Mexican standoff. On their way to locate and rescue Private Ryan, Captain John H. Miller's squad of US Army Ranger came to a stop at a French town to rest. One of the Rangers resting accidentally knocked over a plank, which then slammed into the wall and broke it. This revealed a squad of German soldiers who were also resting on the other side of the wall, triggering the Mexican standoff. The two squads shouted for each other to surrender in their own languages, the Mexican standoff lasted until another group of Americans came to the rescue of Captain Miller's Rangers.
*[[John Woo]] incorporates Mexican Standoffs in most of his films, allowing it to become a trademark of his movies (as in ''[[Face/Off]]'' where [[John Travolta]] and [[Nicholas Cage]] end a long running gunfight with their pistols pointed at each other at close range).
*''[[Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest]]'' involves a Mexican-style standoff/swordfight between characters [[Jack Sparrow]], [[Will Turner]] and Commodore [[James Norrington]], and ''[[Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End]]'' features a 4 way dual-wielded Mexican Standoff, this time between Jack Sparrow, Will Turner, [[Elizabeth Swann]], and [[Hector Barbossa]].
* In ''[[The Simpsons]]'' episode "[[Moe Baby Blues]]", [[Maggie_Simpson|Maggie]] gets caught in the middle of an Italian-American Mexican Standoff.
* In ''[[Shanghai Noon]]'', Roy O'Bannon and Marshall Nathan Van Cleef have a Mexican standoff, with the Marshall even stating, "How about that? It's a Mexican standoff. Only we ain't got no Mexicans." Nathan Van Cleef's name is an homage to [[Lee Van Cleef]], who played the villain Sentenza in ''[[The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly]]'' and was involved in its Mexican standoff climax.

== See also ==
* [[Mutual assured destruction]] (MAD)
* [[Winner's curse]]
* [[Prisoner's Dilemma]]
* [[Chicken (game)]]
{{wiktionary}}

==External link==
*[http://www.everything2.com/index.pl?node_id=1762217 Explanation of detailed mechanics and Suitable strategies] at [[Everything2]]

[[Category:English idioms]]
[[Category:Film techniques]]
[[Category:Slang]]
[[Category:Violence]]

[[de:Mexikanisches Unentschieden]]
[[fr:Mexican standoff]]
[[he:תיקו מקסיקני]]
[[it:Mexican standoff]]
[[no:Meksikansk dilemma]]

Mexican Standoff

2007-07-19T23:51:37Z

74.116.183.49: /* Examples in film and television */

A '''Mexican standoff''' is a [[stalemate]] or [[impasse]], a confrontation that neither side can seemingly win. In [[popular culture]], the Mexican standoff is usually portrayed as two (or more) opponents with [[gun]]s aimed at each other at close range. Due to heightened state of readiness, the time required to react is minimal, the opponent's response is unlikely to be prevented and likely to be effective. Knowing this, both opponents halt in self-preservation. Exacerbating the tension is that neither side wants to put down their weapons, for fear that their opponents will act as soon as mutual harm is no longer assured. This situation forces the participants to resolve the situation either by [[diplomacy]], [[Surrender (military)|surrender]], or a [[pre-emptive]] strike, when one is possible — or the involvement of other parties, allied with none or either of the opponents, which can complicate the optimal strategy much further and result in standoffs involving much more participants.

Discussions of the [[Soviet Union]]-[[United States]] [[nuclear weapon|nuclear]] confrontation during the [[Cold War]] frequently used the term, specifically in reference to the [[Cuban Missile Crisis]] of [[1962]]. Achieving such a standoff indefinitely is one of the goals of the doctrine of [[mutual assured destruction]].

This expression came into usage during the last decade of the [[19th century]], most likely originating in the [[Southwestern United States|American Southwest]], although the Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary claims that the term is of Australian origin.[http://dictionary.cambridge.org/define.asp?dict=CALD&key=50247] One possibility is that it may relate to the difficult and paradoxical social and economic conditions of 19th and early [[20th century]] [[Mexico]].

==Examples in film and television==
The Mexican standoff is now considered a movie [[cliché]] due to its frequent use in [[Spaghetti Western]]s and [[Action film|action movie]]s.

*''[[The Good, the Bad and the Ugly]]'' climaxes with the famous three-way standoff in the cemetery between the protagonists.
*The comedy series ''[[Stella (TV series)|Stella]]'' parodied the Mexican Standoff in the episode "Camping".
*The Stephen King book ''[[Wizard and Glass]]'', notable for its heavy Western influences, features a six-way Mexican standoff.
*[[Quentin Tarantino]], who makes no secret of his borrowing from the Western genre, has shown a particular affection for the Mexican standoff. His feature-film debut, ''[[Reservoir Dogs]]'', includes two standoffs: one between Mr. Pink and Mr. White, early in the film and the final climax: a classic three-way Mexican standoff between Mr. White, Nice Guy Eddie and Joe. ''[[Pulp Fiction]]'', also ended with a variation of a Mexican standoff, between characters played by [[John Travolta]], [[Samuel Jackson]], and [[Amanda Plummer]]. ''[[Kill Bill 2]]'' also includes a standoff near the end between [[The Bride]] and an assassin. ''[[True Romance]]'' includes a standoff between Lee's security men, the cops and the mobsters.
*The [[Wachowski Brothers]] incorporated a Mexican standoff in [[The Matrix Revolutions]]. Trinity, Morpheus, and Seraph are attempting to bargain for Neo's life with the Merovingian in Club Hel. When made an offer they cannot accept, Trinity begins a brawl, grabs a gun, and points it directly at the Merovingian's forehead. All others in the room have a gun pointed at them, one at another.
*In [[Saving Private Ryan]], there is a scene that involves a Mexican standoff between the US Army Ranger squad led by Captain John Miller and a group of [[Wehrmacht]] soldiers, after the former revealed the latter by accidentally breaking a wall of a house in which the Germans were hiding. The two squads shouted for each other to surrender in their own languages, the Mexican standoff lasted until another group of Americans came to the rescue of Captain Miller's Rangers.
*[[John Woo]] incorporates Mexican Standoffs in most of his films, allowing it to become a trademark of his movies (as in ''[[Face/Off]]'' where [[John Travolta]] and [[Nicholas Cage]] end a long running gunfight with their pistols pointed at each other at close range).
*''[[Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest]]'' involves a Mexican-style standoff/swordfight between characters [[Jack Sparrow]], [[Will Turner]] and Commodore [[James Norrington]], and ''[[Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End]]'' features a 4 way dual-wielded Mexican Standoff, this time between Jack Sparrow, Will Turner, [[Elizabeth Swann]], and [[Hector Barbossa]].
* In ''[[The Simpsons]]'' episode "[[Moe Baby Blues]]", [[Maggie_Simpson|Maggie]] gets caught in the middle of an Italian-American Mexican Standoff.
* In ''[[Shanghai Noon]]'', Roy O'Bannon and Marshall Nathan Van Cleef have a Mexican standoff, with the Marshall even stating, "How about that? It's a Mexican standoff. Only we ain't got no Mexicans." Nathan Van Cleef's name is an homage to [[Lee Van Cleef]], who played the villain Sentenza in ''[[The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly]]'' and was involved in its Mexican standoff climax.

== See also ==
* [[Mutual assured destruction]] (MAD)
* [[Winner's curse]]
* [[Prisoner's Dilemma]]
* [[Chicken (game)]]
{{wiktionary}}

==External link==
*[http://www.everything2.com/index.pl?node_id=1762217 Explanation of detailed mechanics and Suitable strategies] at [[Everything2]]

[[Category:English idioms]]
[[Category:Film techniques]]
[[Category:Slang]]
[[Category:Violence]]

[[de:Mexikanisches Unentschieden]]
[[fr:Mexican standoff]]
[[he:תיקו מקסיקני]]
[[it:Mexican standoff]]
[[no:Meksikansk dilemma]]

Mexican Standoff

2007-07-19T23:51:16Z

74.116.183.49: /* Examples in film and television */

A '''Mexican standoff''' is a [[stalemate]] or [[impasse]], a confrontation that neither side can seemingly win. In [[popular culture]], the Mexican standoff is usually portrayed as two (or more) opponents with [[gun]]s aimed at each other at close range. Due to heightened state of readiness, the time required to react is minimal, the opponent's response is unlikely to be prevented and likely to be effective. Knowing this, both opponents halt in self-preservation. Exacerbating the tension is that neither side wants to put down their weapons, for fear that their opponents will act as soon as mutual harm is no longer assured. This situation forces the participants to resolve the situation either by [[diplomacy]], [[Surrender (military)|surrender]], or a [[pre-emptive]] strike, when one is possible — or the involvement of other parties, allied with none or either of the opponents, which can complicate the optimal strategy much further and result in standoffs involving much more participants.

Discussions of the [[Soviet Union]]-[[United States]] [[nuclear weapon|nuclear]] confrontation during the [[Cold War]] frequently used the term, specifically in reference to the [[Cuban Missile Crisis]] of [[1962]]. Achieving such a standoff indefinitely is one of the goals of the doctrine of [[mutual assured destruction]].

This expression came into usage during the last decade of the [[19th century]], most likely originating in the [[Southwestern United States|American Southwest]], although the Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary claims that the term is of Australian origin.[http://dictionary.cambridge.org/define.asp?dict=CALD&key=50247] One possibility is that it may relate to the difficult and paradoxical social and economic conditions of 19th and early [[20th century]] [[Mexico]].

==Examples in film and television==
The Mexican standoff is now considered a movie [[cliché]] due to its frequent use in [[Spaghetti Western]]s and [[Action film|action movie]]s.

*''[[The Good, the Bad and the Ugly]]'' climaxes with the famous three-way standoff in the cemetery between the protagonists.
*The comedy series ''[[Stella (TV series)|Stella]]'' parodied the Mexican Standoff in the episode "Camping".
*The Stephen King book ''[[Wizard and Glass]]'', notable for its heavy Western influences, features a six-way Mexican standoff.
*[[Quentin Tarantino]], who makes no secret of his borrowing from the Western genre, has shown a particular affection for the Mexican standoff. His feature-film debut, ''[[Reservoir Dogs]]'', includes two standoffs: one between Mr. Pink and Mr. White, early in the film and the final climax: a classic three-way Mexican standoff between Mr. White, Nice Guy Eddie and Joe. ''[[Pulp Fiction]]'', also ended with a variation of a Mexican standoff, between characters played by [[John Travolta]], [[Samuel Jackson]], and [[Amanda Plummer]]. ''[[Kill Bill 2]]'' also includes a standoff near the end between [[The Bride]] and an assassin. ''[[True Romance]]'' includes a standoff between Lee's security men, the cops and the mobsters.
*The [[Wachowski Brothers]] incorporated a Mexican standoff in [[The Matrix Revolutions]]. Trinity, Morpheus, and Seraph are attempting to bargain for Neo's life with the Merovingian in Club Hel. When made an offer they cannot accept, Trinity begins a brawl, grabs a gun, and points it directly at the Merovingian's forehead. All others in the room have a gun pointed at them, one at another.
*In [[Saving Private Ryan]], there is a scene that involves a Mexican standoff between the Ranger squad led by Captain John Miller and a group of [[Wehrmacht]] soldiers, after the former revealed the latter by accidentally breaking a wall of a house in which the Germans were hiding. The two squads shouted for each other to surrender in their own languages, the Mexican standoff lasted until another group of Americans came to the rescue of Captain Miller's Rangers.
*[[John Woo]] incorporates Mexican Standoffs in most of his films, allowing it to become a trademark of his movies (as in ''[[Face/Off]]'' where [[John Travolta]] and [[Nicholas Cage]] end a long running gunfight with their pistols pointed at each other at close range).
*''[[Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest]]'' involves a Mexican-style standoff/swordfight between characters [[Jack Sparrow]], [[Will Turner]] and Commodore [[James Norrington]], and ''[[Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End]]'' features a 4 way dual-wielded Mexican Standoff, this time between Jack Sparrow, Will Turner, [[Elizabeth Swann]], and [[Hector Barbossa]].
* In ''[[The Simpsons]]'' episode "[[Moe Baby Blues]]", [[Maggie_Simpson|Maggie]] gets caught in the middle of an Italian-American Mexican Standoff.
* In ''[[Shanghai Noon]]'', Roy O'Bannon and Marshall Nathan Van Cleef have a Mexican standoff, with the Marshall even stating, "How about that? It's a Mexican standoff. Only we ain't got no Mexicans." Nathan Van Cleef's name is an homage to [[Lee Van Cleef]], who played the villain Sentenza in ''[[The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly]]'' and was involved in its Mexican standoff climax.

== See also ==
* [[Mutual assured destruction]] (MAD)
* [[Winner's curse]]
* [[Prisoner's Dilemma]]
* [[Chicken (game)]]
{{wiktionary}}

==External link==
*[http://www.everything2.com/index.pl?node_id=1762217 Explanation of detailed mechanics and Suitable strategies] at [[Everything2]]

[[Category:English idioms]]
[[Category:Film techniques]]
[[Category:Slang]]
[[Category:Violence]]

[[de:Mexikanisches Unentschieden]]
[[fr:Mexican standoff]]
[[he:תיקו מקסיקני]]
[[it:Mexican standoff]]
[[no:Meksikansk dilemma]]

Mexican Standoff

2007-07-19T23:47:08Z

74.116.183.49: /* Examples in film and television */

A '''Mexican standoff''' is a [[stalemate]] or [[impasse]], a confrontation that neither side can seemingly win. In [[popular culture]], the Mexican standoff is usually portrayed as two (or more) opponents with [[gun]]s aimed at each other at close range. Due to heightened state of readiness, the time required to react is minimal, the opponent's response is unlikely to be prevented and likely to be effective. Knowing this, both opponents halt in self-preservation. Exacerbating the tension is that neither side wants to put down their weapons, for fear that their opponents will act as soon as mutual harm is no longer assured. This situation forces the participants to resolve the situation either by [[diplomacy]], [[Surrender (military)|surrender]], or a [[pre-emptive]] strike, when one is possible — or the involvement of other parties, allied with none or either of the opponents, which can complicate the optimal strategy much further and result in standoffs involving much more participants.

Discussions of the [[Soviet Union]]-[[United States]] [[nuclear weapon|nuclear]] confrontation during the [[Cold War]] frequently used the term, specifically in reference to the [[Cuban Missile Crisis]] of [[1962]]. Achieving such a standoff indefinitely is one of the goals of the doctrine of [[mutual assured destruction]].

This expression came into usage during the last decade of the [[19th century]], most likely originating in the [[Southwestern United States|American Southwest]], although the Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary claims that the term is of Australian origin.[http://dictionary.cambridge.org/define.asp?dict=CALD&key=50247] One possibility is that it may relate to the difficult and paradoxical social and economic conditions of 19th and early [[20th century]] [[Mexico]].

==Examples in film and television==
The Mexican standoff is now considered a movie [[cliché]] due to its frequent use in [[Spaghetti Western]]s and [[Action film|action movie]]s.

*''[[The Good, the Bad and the Ugly]]'' climaxes with the famous three-way standoff in the cemetery between the protagonists.
*The comedy series ''[[Stella (TV series)|Stella]]'' parodied the Mexican Standoff in the episode "Camping".
*The Stephen King book ''[[Wizard and Glass]]'', notable for its heavy Western influences, features a six-way Mexican standoff.
*[[Quentin Tarantino]], who makes no secret of his borrowing from the Western genre, has shown a particular affection for the Mexican standoff. His feature-film debut, ''[[Reservoir Dogs]]'', includes two standoffs: one between Mr. Pink and Mr. White, early in the film and the final climax: a classic three-way Mexican standoff between Mr. White, Nice Guy Eddie and Joe. ''[[Pulp Fiction]]'', also ended with a variation of a Mexican standoff, between characters played by [[John Travolta]], [[Samuel Jackson]], and [[Amanda Plummer]]. ''[[Kill Bill 2]]'' also includes a standoff near the end between [[The Bride]] and an assassin. ''[[True Romance]]'' includes a standoff between Lee's security men, the cops and the mobsters.
*The [[Wachowski Brothers]] incorporated a Mexican standoff in [[The Matrix Revolutions]]. Trinity, Morpheus, and Seraph are attempting to bargain for Neo's life with the Merovingian in Club Hel. When made an offer they cannot accept, Trinity begins a brawl, grabs a gun, and points it directly at the Merovingian's forehead. All others in the room have a gun pointed at them, one at another.
*In [[Saving Private Ryan]], there is a scene that involves a Mexican standoff between the American and German squad, after the former revealed the latter by accidentally breaking a wall of a house in which the Germans were hiding. The two squads shouted for each other to surrender in their own languages, the Mexican standoff lasted until another group of Americans came to the rescue of the squad assigned to find Private Ryan.
*[[John Woo]] incorporates Mexican Standoffs in most of his films, allowing it to become a trademark of his movies (as in ''[[Face/Off]]'' where [[John Travolta]] and [[Nicholas Cage]] end a long running gunfight with their pistols pointed at each other at close range).
*''[[Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest]]'' involves a Mexican-style standoff/swordfight between characters [[Jack Sparrow]], [[Will Turner]] and Commodore [[James Norrington]], and ''[[Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End]]'' features a 4 way dual-wielded Mexican Standoff, this time between Jack Sparrow, Will Turner, [[Elizabeth Swann]], and [[Hector Barbossa]].
* In ''[[The Simpsons]]'' episode "[[Moe Baby Blues]]", [[Maggie_Simpson|Maggie]] gets caught in the middle of an Italian-American Mexican Standoff.
* In ''[[Shanghai Noon]]'', Roy O'Bannon and Marshall Nathan Van Cleef have a Mexican standoff, with the Marshall even stating, "How about that? It's a Mexican standoff. Only we ain't got no Mexicans." Nathan Van Cleef's name is an homage to [[Lee Van Cleef]], who played the villain Sentenza in ''[[The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly]]'' and was involved in its Mexican standoff climax.

== See also ==
* [[Mutual assured destruction]] (MAD)
* [[Winner's curse]]
* [[Prisoner's Dilemma]]
* [[Chicken (game)]]
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==External link==
*[http://www.everything2.com/index.pl?node_id=1762217 Explanation of detailed mechanics and Suitable strategies] at [[Everything2]]

[[Category:English idioms]]
[[Category:Film techniques]]
[[Category:Slang]]
[[Category:Violence]]

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