Taunts, flaunts, fleers, jeers

With the row over the second cricket Test against India just over, you may like to know that in gridiron, according to a bloke on the ABC’s ‘Grandstand’, there’s a rule against getting stuck into the opposition with word and gesture. ‘Taunting’ is banned, and not only direct attack but also celebrating your own achievements in a way that implicitly insults the other team. No taunting in other words, and no flaunting. Who knew gridiron was such a gentlemanly pastime?

Time to mobilise ‘fleer’ and ‘jeer’. To fleer, according to SOED is to gibe, jeer, sneer at, laugh at mockingly or scornfully. Sounds like the slips cordon to me. ‘Sledging’ may be a fine, robust word but it tends to suggest a practice exempted from civility. So how about a sign on the dressing-room wall? ‘Players will refrain from taunts, flaunts, fleers and jeers.’

Well something’s gotta shut the bludgers up.