List of Sports Idioms - Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia

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List of sports idioms
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The following is a list of phrases from sports that have become idioms (slang or otherwise) in English. They have
evolved usages and meanings independent of sports and are often used by those with little knowledge of these
games.
The sport from which each phrase originates has been included immediately after the phrase. In some cases, the
specific sport may not be known; these entries may be followed by the generic term sports, or a slightly more
specific term, such as team sports (referring to such games as baseball, football, hockey, etc.), ball sports
(baseball, tennis, volleyball, etc.), etc.
This list does not include idioms derived exclusively from baseball. The body of idioms derived from that sport is so
extensive that two other articles are exclusively dedicated to them. See English language idioms derived from
baseball and baseball metaphors for sex.
Contents :B C D E F G H I K L M N O P Q R S T U W See also References
C
carry the ball
American football, rugby, etc: To take charge, to assume responsibility. In some ball games (for example
American or Canadian football, rugby, etc.), the ball can be carried to advance toward a goal. ADHI dates
figurative usage the "early 1900s".
[1]
Compare drop the ball, below.
come out fighting or come out swinging
Boxing: To go immediately on the offensive, often pre-emptively; or, to strongly defend oneself or one's
beliefs. CIDI,
[2][3]
D
down and out
BoxingVV: Lacking money or prospects; penniless or destitute. A boxer who is "down" has been knocked
to the canvas, and one who is also "out" is unconscious or unable to resume the fight; thus a down-and-out
boxer is utterly defeated. AHDI states the term "probably" came from boxing, circa 1900;
[4]
OED
references boxing rather obliquely, and cites first figurative usage to 1889.
[5]
down for the count; out for the count
Boxing: To be defeated. Refers to a boxer being knocked down; the referee will count off ten seconds, the
time allotted for the boxer to regain his feet or lose the fight. Down for the count may imply a temporary
setback, as down does not necessarily imply out. AHDI dates "down for the count" to the 1920s;
[6]
OED
cites out for the count to 1930.
[7]
Compare take the full count, below.
down to the wire
Horse racing: To the very end or last minute. From the length of wire stretched across a racetrack at the
finish line. AHDI dates its figurative use to about 1900.
[8]
drop the ball
Baseball, rugby, American football, etc: To make an error, to miss an opportunity. In games where a ball
may be legally caught (e.g. baseball) or carried (e.g. American football), a player (or the player's team) may
be penalized for dropping the ball; for example, an American football player who drops a ball ("fumbles")
risks having the ball recovered and carried by the other team; in baseball, a player who drops a thrown or
batted ball may be charged with an error. AHDI dates the figurative usage to about the 1950s.
[9]
Compare
carry the ball, above.
drop the gloves
Ice hockey: To engage in a fight, whether figurative or literal. Refers to the act of hockey players throwing off
their gloves to punch with bare knuckles.
E
end run
American football: An evasive tactic; an attempt to avoid or bypass opposition. In America football, it is an
attempt to run around one's own end (of a line of players) and towards the goal. OED dates football usage
to 1902, figurative to 1952.
[10]
F
full-court press
Basketball: An all-out effort to exert pressure. In basketball, full-court press is an aggressive defence
strategy in which the defenders put pressure on the opposing team over the entire court, trying to disrupt their
dribbling and passing. AHDI cites the usage to the "late 1900s".
[11]
OED cites first basketball usage in 1976,
and figurative usage in 1978, but the cite itself states that the term was used figuratively in "the late sixties".
[12]
G
gambit
Boxing: A strategem or tactic; chess: an opening system that involves a pawn sacrifice to gain the initiative
right from the start. The term arrives in modern parlance through chess, but originates in wrestling from the
Italian gambetto, tripping the opponent. OED cites the chess usage to 1656, the figurative usage to 1855.
get the ball rolling
Some ball games: To start an endeavour. Some ball games are started by rolling a ball into play. AHDI
dates to the late 18th century.
[13]
See also keep the ball rolling, below.
glass jaw
Boxing: Vulnerability, especially of a public figure, to destructive criticism. In boxing, a fighter who is
especially vulnerable or susceptible to a knockout is said to have a glass jaw.
[14]
the gloves are off
Boxing, Hockey: See take off the gloves, below.
go the distance
Boxing: Carry through a course of action to completion. A boxer goes the distance when he can fight
through all the scheduled rounds. OED cites the boxing idiom to 1934, but does not date its figurative
usage.
[15]
go to the mat
Wrestling: to engage in an argument or dispute, especially until one side is victorious. In wrestling, it means
to engage in a wrestling bout, the mat being the surface on which the contest is fought. OED cites the
wrestling usage to 1908, the figurative to 1912;
[16]
however, AHDI states it has been used in its figurative
sense "since about 1900".
[17]
move the goalposts
Football: to change the rules to make it difficult for others to achieve something.
H
hands down
Horse racing: With great ease; unconditionally; often (and originally) in the phrase to win hands down, in
which a jockey, certain of victory, drops his hands relaxes his hold on the reins. The horse-racing phrase is
first cited by OED in 1867, figurative usage in 1913.
[18]
hail mary
Football: A long shot, a desperate last-ditch attempt
hat-trick
Cricket: A threefold feat in an endeavour. In cricket, a bowler who took three wickets with three successive
bowls was entitled to a new hat (or some other prize) awarded by his club. OED cites to 1877, figurative to
1909.
[19]
Later used in many other team sports.
have someone in your corner
Boxing: To have the support or help of someone. A boxer's ringside support staff second, cut man, etc.
are in his corner, and assist him between rounds.
[20]
heavy hitter
Boxing: An important or influential individual or organization. Refers to a boxer who is able to hit hard;
AHDI states it "was transferred to other enterprises in the mid-1900s".
[21]
heavyweight
Boxing: A person of great influence or importance. In boxing, it is a weight division of 175 pounds (79.5 kg)
or higher, or a boxer fighting in this division. OED dates the boxing usage to 1877 (it was previously used in
horse-racing), but does not cite or date the figurative usage.
[22]
See also lightweight, below.
hit below the belt
Boxing: To act unfairly or unscrupulously, in disregard of the rules. To hit an opponent below the belt is an
illegal move in boxing. WNM dates this use to "194146";
[23]
OED dates to 1891.
[24]
See low blow,
below.
home stretch or homestretch
Horse racing: The final phase of an endeavour or project. On a racecourse, the home stretch is the final
part of track on which the race finishes. OED dates racing usage to 1841, but does not date or cite a
figurative usage;
[25]
M-W defines a figurative use but does not date it.
[26]
hospital pass
Rugby : Passing the ball to a player who is already marked and sure to be tackled - implying being put into
hospital by the severity of the inevitable tackle.
hurler on the ditch
Hurling: A non-participant who criticises from outside. Derives from a spectator (typically a man too old to
play any more) criticising the players whilst observing from an earth bank (a ditch; most hurling clubs do not
have stands so the crowd stand at the pitchside).
[27][28]
I
in-fighting, infighting
Boxing: Close-quarter fighting. Also, conflict between members of the same organization, often concealed
from outsiders. Infighting in boxing is fighting in close quarters; when the fighters are extremely close, it may
sometimes be difficult for spectators (or even the referee) to see each blow. OED dates the boxing usage to
1812, and the first non-boxing meaning to 1928, and the first non-physical meaning to 1960.
[29]
OED does
not refer to the second meaning, which is the one stated (but undatd) by AHD and WordNet.
[30]
K
kayo, K.O.
Boxing: To put out of commission. From the boxing phrase "knockout" (knock unconscious), abbreviated
"K.O." and pronounced and often written as "kayo". OED dates "K.O." to 1922, figurative use to 1923;
[31]
"kayo" to 1923, figurative sense 1939.
[32]
See knockout, below.
keep one's eye on the ball
Ball games: To remain alert. In most games involving balls, it is important for players to keep track of the
ball. AHDI dates to circa 1900.
[33]
keep the ball rolling
Some ball games: To keep a conversation or endeavour from flagging. In some games, the ball must be
kept moving or play stops. AHDI dates to the late 18th century;
[13]
See also get the ball rolling, above.
kisser
The mouth or face. Although the etymology is obvious that which kisses it apparently first appeared as
boxing slang in 1860 (OED).
[34]
knock for six
Cricket To surprise or shock (someone).
[35]
knockout, knock-out
Boxing: A stunningly attractive or exciting person. In boxing a "knockout" is scored when one boxer
"knocks out" another boxer, either by striking him unconscious, or knocking him to the canvas such that he
cannot rise within a count of ten (a "technical knockout"). AHD derives the figurative term from the boxing in
the "early 20th century";
[36]
OED does not.
[37]
Both seem to suggest, however, that the verb phrase "knock
out" or "knock someone out" predates boxing.
L
lead with one's chin
Boxing: To speak without caution, or to leave oneself unprotected. Refers to a boxer leaving his chin, a
vulnerable point, unprotected. AHDI dates this usage to the "mid-1900s";
[38]
OED cites Erle Stanley
Gardner in 1949.
[39]
lightweight
Boxing: (A person or thing) of little importance, consequence, intelligence or ability. In boxing, it is a weight
division of boxers weighing no more than 135 pounds or 60.7 kg, or a boxer who fights in that division.
OED cites boxing usage to 1823, figurative usage to 1885.
[40]
low blow
Boxing: An unscrupulous or unfair attack, action, or insult. Refers to an illegal blow aimed at the area below
another boxer's waist or belt. AHDI cites this usage to about 1950.
[41]
See hit below the belt, above.
M
Monday morning quarterback
American football: A person who criticizes or passes judgment with the benefit of hindsight. Monday
morning refers to the games played or broadcast on weekends, with criticisms leveled by commentators the
following week. See also hindsight bias and quarterback, below. OED cites football usage to 1932.
[42]
N
no holds barred
Wrestling: With all restrictions relaxed. The rules of wrestling bar or proscribe certain holds or grips on
one's opponent. OED cites figurative usage to 1942,
[43]
while AHDI indicates its wrestling origins.
[44]
by a nose
see win by a nose, below.
O
on the ropes
Boxing: On the verge of defeat. Refers to a boxer who has been knocked against the ropes that enclose the
boxing ring and kept there by the blows of his opponent. OED cites the boxing usage to 1958, figurative use
to 1970.
[45]
one-two (punch), the old one-two
Boxing An attack consisting of two punches in rapid succession with alternate hands. OED cites boxing
usage to 1811, figurative usage to 1948. The phrase the old one-two is cited in 1960, but quotes it from "a
more vulgarly robust age".
[46]
out for the count
See down for the count, above.
out of the park, to hit it out of the park
Baseball: To be wildly successful, to exceed expectations.
P
par for the course
Golf: Typical; what is expected. Derived from the literal meaning of par for the course in golf.
[47]
play ball (with)
Baseball: To cooperate (with) or act fairly (with). Derives from a baseball umpire's call to "Play ball!" to
start a game. AHDI dates the term to the late 19th century;
[48]
OED dates the figurative usage to 1903.
[49]
pull one's punches
Boxing: To use less force than one is capable of; to be gentle or lenient. In boxing, a boxer who holds back
from using all his strength is said to pull his punches. Often used in a negative sense, in the phrase "pull no
punches". The boxing term dates to 1934, the figurative to 1937 (OED).
[50]
punch-drunk
Boxing: dazed, bewildered, or confused; or behaving in such a manner. In boxing, it refers to Dementia
pugilistica, a neurological disorder in boxers triggered by repeated dazing blows or punches to the head over
an extended period of time; symptoms include dementia, inappropriate behaviour, slurring of speech, etc.,
which resemble symptoms of alcoholic intoxication (hence punch-drunk). Figuratively, it refers to a state of
dazedness or confusion resulting from fatigue, overwork, burnout, continuous exposure to unpleasant
situations, or perhaps even emotional upheaval, as in suffering repeated figurative blows to one's ego,
emotional well-being, etc. OED dates the boxing usage to 1918, the figurative to 1934.
[51]
See punchy,
slap-happy, below..
punchy
Boxing: See punch-drunk, above; also, in a state of nervous tension, fatigued. OED cites as synonym for
"punch-drunk" to 1937, alternate meaning to 1943.
[52]
See punch-drunk, above, slap-happy, below.
push it over the goal line
American Football: Complete the activity or project, finish to job. Value of work often has little value until
its completion. In American football, a team's drive to move the football down the field doesn't count until the
ball crosses the goal line.
Q
quarterback
American football: One who directs or leads; a mastermind; also used as a verb, to quarterback. It is also
used as a term for a supporter or critic of a football team or game, and by extension, an uninvolved observer
who criticizes or second-guesses; see Monday morning quarterback, above. In American football, the
quarterback is the player on the field responsible for coordinating and directing play, and the one to whom
the ball is snapped at the beginning of each play. OED cites figurative use of "leader" to 1961;
[42]
it dates the
verb usage to 1952, a cite which in itself cites the term to 1945.
[53]
R
ringer
Horse racing: An impostor, especially one who misrepresents his or her identity or ability in order to gain an
advantage in a competition. In horse racing, when a fast horse was substituted for a slower one that it
resembled (a "ring-in"), the term now applies to any athlete entered in a team competition under false
pretenses in order to gain a competitive advantage by strengthening the team.
[54][55]
ringside judge
Boxing: A person who follows a topic or situation closely. In boxing, the ringside judges who score a
boxing match sit at the ringside table (see below), and thus have an excellent view of the proceedings. OED
cites this use to 1976.
[56]
ringside seat, ringside table
Boxing: A place providing a good view of something. In boxing, a ringside seat is immediately adjacent to
the ring in which the boxers fight, as is the ringside table, at which the ringside judges (see above) sit. OED
cites ringside seat to 1934, ringside table to 1929.
[56]
roll with the punches
Boxing: To take adversity in stride; to adapt to difficult circumstances. A boxer who "rolls with the punches"
moves his body away from the force of a blow so as to lessen their impact. OED cites the boxing term to
1941, the figurative to 1956.
[57]
round
Boxing: A single phase of an endeavour or contest: "The defence attorney started round two by filing a writ
of habeas corpus." Also, an encounter, often confrontational, as in the phrase go a few rounds or go a
couple of rounds: "I went a couple of rounds with the ex-wife's lawyer." A round in boxing is one of a set
number of small contests (usually three minutes) that make up the entire match. OED dates the boxing term
to 1812, extends it to battling animals in 1846, then to a figurative sense in 1937.
[58]
run interference
American football: To handle problems for another person or to clear the way for another. In American
football, a player who runs interference interferes or obstructs opponents to let the ball carrier advance.
AHDI dates the usage to the mid-20th century.
[59]
S
saved by the bell
Boxing: to be saved from misfortune or unpleasantness by a timely interruption. Alludes to a boxer who is
knocked to the canvas, and must regain his feet before a count of ten or lose the contest; if the bell signalling
the end of the round is rung before the count is finished, the fighter now has until the start of the next round to
recover and resume fighting. ADHI dates this to the "mid-1900s";
[60]
OED cites first boxing use in 1932,
figurative use in 1959.
[61]
sideline; on/from the sidelines
Sports: To remove from participation. A player who it is injured, benched, etc. is removed from play and
forced to sit on or observe from the sidelines. The sidelines themselves are the lines on the side of the
playing field which define the playing area from that of spectators, non-playing team members, etc. OED
defines sidelines in terms of "spec[ifically] Football and other sports", figurative use from 1934.
[62]
See also
bench.
slam dunk, slam-dunk
Basketball: A forceful, dramatic move, especially against someone. In basketball, it is a forceful shot in
which the player jumps to the basket and slams the ball in. OED only cites the basketball definition, and that
to 1976;
[63]
AHDI cites a figurative usage from "about 1980 on".
[64]
Figurative usage commonly includes the
sense of "can't miss", a sure thing
[65]
slap-happy
Boxing: Synonym for punch-drunk, above; also, dizzy with happiness; carefree, casual, thoughtless,
irresponsible. The "punch-drunk" meaning OED cites to 1936; the "dizzy" meaning appears two years later.
The "carefreeetc" connotation appears in 1937;
[66]
it appears the evolution of the idiomatic meaning was
influenced by the element "happy" over that of "slap".
sparring partner
Boxing: A person with whom one routinely argues or enjoys arguing. Refers to a boxer who is hired to
practise with another for training purposes.
[67]
Other phrases such as "sparring match" (for a verbal
argument), and even the verb "to spar" (to bandy words), may actually come from cockfighting.
[68]
square off
Boxing: To assume a fighting stance or attitude. In boxing, the term derives from the square shape of the
ring, and the stance fighters assume immediately before the fight commences. AHD derives the figurative use
from boxing in a note at the entry knockout.
[36]
OED does not specifically refer to boxing, but cites a
physical fighting usage to 1838 and a figurative in 1873.
[69]
Sticky wicket
Cricket: a metaphor used to describe a difficult circumstance. It originated as a term to describe difficult
playing conditions, caused by a damp and soft pitch.
Stumped
Cricket: to be out due to the wicket-keeper disrupting the stumps with the batsman being out of their
ground. Batsmen who are out stumped do not often realise what has happened until they are asked to walk
away from the pitch.
sucker punch
Boxing: An unexpected blow. In boxing, a sucker punch is one delivered unexpectedly. OED dates boxing
term to 1947, but does not cite first figurative usage.
Sunday punch
Boxing: A destructive blow to an opponent as in "knocked him into next Sunday". In boxing, a Sunday
punch is a knockout blow. WordNet refers to it specifically in terms of boxing.
[70]
OED cites a meaning as a
knockout punch to 1929, figurative use to 1944, but does not ascribe it to the sport of boxing directly.
T
take a dive
Boxing: To pretend or feign, with intent to deceive. Refers to boxers who would pretend to be knocked out
by a light or even non-existent punch, thus intentionally losing the fight; this was one method of losing a
"fixed" fight (one with an unlawfully prearranged outcome). OED gives the boxing reference as 1952, the
non-boxing in 1982.
[71]
Also in football
take it on the chin
Boxing: To suffer misfortune or defeat. It alludes to taking a physical blow on the chin; AHDI dates this
usage to the "first half of [the] 1900s";
[72]
OED, however, qualifies this definition, adding "courageously", and
citing its first use to 1928.
[73]
take off the gloves
Boxing, ice hockey: To attack earnestly, without mercy. Boxing gloves are worn for protection of the
boxer's hands and to lessen the impact of the punches; bare-knuckle boxing is much more savage and
dangerous. Used also in ice hockey, as two (or more) players signal their intention to fight by dropping their
gloves. Often used as in the gloves are off, meaning the fight or dispute has escalated (CIDI
[74]
). This
phrase may derive from earlier forms; the boxing sense OED cites to 1922, the figurative to 1928.
[75]
take the (full) count
Boxing: To be defeated. Refers to a boxer being knocked down, the referee counting off ten seconds, the
time allotted for the boxer to regain his feet or lose the fight. A boxer who takes the full count accepts defeat.
OED cites this usage in 1902.
[7]
Compare down for the count, above
throw in the towel
Boxing: To surrender, admit defeat. Originally throw up the sponge or chuck up the sponge; OED cites
"from the practice of throwing up the sponge used to cleanse the combatants' faces, at a prize~fight, as a
signal that the mill is concluded." (1860)
[76]
The phrase throw in the towel in a non-boxing sense first
dates to 1916 in a book by C. J. Dennis.
[76]
throw one's hat into the ring
Boxing: To signify one's candidacy for (political) office or election; to enter a contest. In early days of
boxing, one signified a challenge by throwing one's hat into the boxing ring. AHDI cites the boxing use to
1900;
[77]
OED cites the figurative to 1928.
[78]
thursday morning tippy tappys
Soccer:A person who criticizes or passes judgement with benefit of hindsight. Thursday morning refers to the
Champions League games played or broadcast midweek, usually on Wednesday nights.
U
under the wire
Horse racing: At the very last moment; in the nick of time; barely within some accepted parameters or
limits. "The report was handed in just under the wire." Or, "At five-foot-five, he was under the wire for the
height requirement for enlistment." From the practice of stretching a wire over the finish line at a racetrack.
AHDI dates to the first half of the 20th century;
[79]
OED dates the horse-racing term to 1889 and the
figurative sense to 1929.
[80]
W
win by a nose
Horse racing: To succeed by a very narrow margin. "Our bid for the construction contract won by a nose."
In horse racing, it describes a win so close that only the nose of the winning horse came in ahead of the
other. AHDI dates the sports usage to about 1900, the figurative to sometime after 1950.
[81]
OED,
however, cites a literal usage in 1851, but does not cite a figurative usage until 1997, and that in the phrase
"lost by a nose."
[82]
wheelhouse
Baseball: A person's area of expertise,or where they are most comfortable. In baseball this is the part of an
individual's swinging range in which as a hitter they can make the best contact with the ball. If a pitch is right
in your wheelhouse it is right where you want it, in the spot where you have the best chance of hitting it
well.
[83]
work out, work-out, workout
Boxing: To exercise or practice, especially in terms of physical training; also, the act of working out. Work
out was a term for boxing for practice as opposed to a set contest. OED gives the earliest boxing reference
as 1927, non-boxing as 1929.
[84]
References
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Ammer, Christine (1997). The American Heritage Dictionary of Idioms (http://dictionary.reference.com/).
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Simpson, John, ed. (2006). The Oxford English Dictionary Online (http://dictionary.oed.com/). Oxford University
Press.
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Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=List_of_sports_idioms&oldid=624633853"
Categories: English idioms Lists of slang Sports-related lists
This page was last modified on 8 September 2014 at 06:11.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License; additional terms may apply.
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