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Goat rope

Posted by Masakim on April 17, 2002

In Reply to: Goat rope posted by DGW on April 17, 2002

: : I recently heard several times the phrase "this is a goat rope" - The context of the phrase meant a big screw-up or huge mistake. Nobody seemed to know where this phrase came from etc. It was used in a military field setting int eh same sentence as FUBAR etc., but I'm not sure if it is military in origin - Anyone know?

: This is US military slang meaning a chaotic or out-of-control situation ... similar to "cluster f***" or "dog f***"/"pooch screw" or "SNAFU". The basic form is "goat f***" in the sense of "a goat-f****** event", thence "goat rape" and the euphemistic "goat rope". The participants in a "goat f***" are pictured as engaged in useless pointless activities (such as copulation with animals) rather than in purposeful activity, I suppose.

goat-f***/-rope/-screw n. [1970s+] (ori. US milit.) a fiasco, a mess, chaos, confusion.... [such a coupling is seen as epitome of chaos]
been to three county fairs and a goat-f******/-roping phr. [1979s+] (US, mainly South) phr. implying one's astonishment (one has had many, varied experiences, but never one such as this)
From Cassell's Dictionary of Slang by Jonathon Green.

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