But before this 20th century use, barn burner had a very specific meaning in US politics. The Barnburners were one of two competing factions in the New York State Democratic Party in the middle of the 19th century. John Russell Bartlett, in his 1848 Dictionary of Americanisms, provided a lengthy quote from the New York Tribune, which explained that the name was “in allusion to the story of an old Dutchman who relieved himself of rats by burning his barns which they infested.” In this case, the Barnburners were so determined to get rid of systemic abuses that they were willing to destroy the system itself.
the point of the article. what is the application?
Today it’s used by sportscasters as an exclamation for a really great game of whatever stripe. Like a football game going into overtime a or a baseball game of 17 innings. Or a WNBA basketball game where white girl doesn’t get punched......................