Other Definitions
mexican standoff (dict)
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Mexican StandoffMexican standoff is north American idiom (or slang) for a stalemate typically involving two or three actors whose strategic advantages and disadvantages have become equally balanced. Some sense of irony, danger or futility may also be implied. The origin of this expression is uncertain but may relate to the difficult and paradoxical social and economic conditions of 19th century Mexico; it is probably intentionally derogatory. The Mexican standoff is now considered a movie clich through its overuse in spaghetti Westerns and other B-movies. It has been revived as a device by directors such as Quentin Tarantino and John Woo.
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