# Are You "Balling" Right Now? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [March 26, 2003, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-balling-right-now/164314 "2003-03-26T16:40:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Eve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Eve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eve)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2003, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-balling-right-now/164314/1 "2003-03-26T16:40:45Z")
Twice in the last couple of weeks, posters have written “balling” instead of “bawling,” turning two horrific, tragic threads into unintentional blue comedy. I don’t want to name names, but “the look on his face made me want to ball my eyes out” and “I’m balling at work right now” come to mind. Folks, folks. I don’t know if these were unintentional typos or if you really don’t know the difference between your bawls and your balls . . . But _please_, stop making me laugh my head off while reading about other peoples’ tragedies! ---
**Author:** ![Gundy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b782af/32.png) [@Gundy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gundy)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2003, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-balling-right-now/164314/2 "2003-03-26T16:45:22Z")
I saw that too, and felt bad for giggling. Thanks, Eve. Reminds me of when I was fifteen and sitting in the yard with my boyfriend, who was telling me about a tragedy his family suffered. When I returned to the house, my dad asked me what we were doing, and I replied, “Bawling.” Guess the Midwestern accent supresses the “w” sound in that word, because I’ve never seen my dad’s eyes bug out so far. ---
**Author:** ![Feynn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ecb155/32.png) [@Feynn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Feynn)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2003, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-balling-right-now/164314/3 "2003-03-26T16:47:46Z")
I’m still wiping tears from my eyes here after reading zut’s post. I might not laugh at anything for quite a while. ---
**Author:** ![Zap\_Rowsdower](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/3da27b/32.png) [@Zap\_Rowsdower](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zap_Rowsdower)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2003, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-balling-right-now/164314/4 "2003-03-26T16:48:57Z")
Yes, I am practically balling with laughter right now. ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2003, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-balling-right-now/164314/5 "2003-03-26T16:54:18Z")
Actually, I’m bowling my balls off at the moment. ---
**Author:** ![Gorgon\_Heap](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/f475e1/32.png) [@Gorgon\_Heap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gorgon_Heap)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2003, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-balling-right-now/164314/6 "2003-03-26T17:02:32Z")
The journalist in me noticed it, but there was no way I could say anything. I didn’t even find it at all amusing. In other threads I have though. ---
**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2003, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-balling-right-now/164314/7 "2003-03-26T17:07:46Z")
But according to the Reverend Little Richard, that is short for “to ballroom dance.” ---
**Author:** ![Tal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/54ee81/32.png) [@Tal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tal)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2003, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-balling-right-now/164314/8 "2003-03-26T17:10:31Z")
> [@](#): > > I’m still wiping tears from my eyes here after reading zut’s post. I might not laugh at anything for quite a while. same here… despite what may be the case with others… a simple typo in relation to such a painful event could never make me laugh ---
**Author:** ![Eve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Eve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eve)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2003, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-balling-right-now/164314/9 "2003-03-26T17:14:55Z")
Well, _I didn’t say anything in that thread_, and did not even mention any names here. It really did raise my eyebrows—but of course we all know, you are _much better people_ than I will ever hope to be. ---
**Author:** ![Kalhoun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3bc359/32.png) [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2003, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-balling-right-now/164314/10 "2003-03-26T17:15:09Z")
Do people even say “balling” anymore? I haven’t heard that terminology since the early '70s. I bet kids today would have to look it up. ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2003, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-balling-right-now/164314/11 "2003-03-26T17:29:06Z")
Ha! Thanks to you, **Eve** , I’m doing nothing even remotely akin to bawling right now. Ball my eyes out. Bwhaa! I’ll keep an eye out for you alright. ---
**Author:** ![Soup\_du\_jour](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/848f3c/32.png) [@Soup\_du\_jour](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Soup_du_jour)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2003, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-balling-right-now/164314/12 "2003-03-26T17:30:18Z")
I thought that “balling” was to play basketball very well. Hence, Jason Kidd could be called a “mad baller with skilz.” 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![UrbanChic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/9dc877/32.png) [@UrbanChic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UrbanChic)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2003, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-balling-right-now/164314/13 "2003-03-26T17:34:29Z")
To ball is also slang for going very, very fast esp. while driving. Ex: I _had_ to be doing every bit of eighty when that car balled past me. …at least I think it is. ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2003, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-balling-right-now/164314/14 "2003-03-26T17:37:39Z")
I cry at the thought of a melon baller. ---
**Author:** ![White\_Lightning](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f04885/32.png) [@White\_Lightning](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/White_Lightning)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2003, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-balling-right-now/164314/15 "2003-03-26T17:38:40Z")
I’m right there with you **Eve**. It was a funny feeling, something so amusing and not even wanting to laugh. I actually am balling right now though, because I am a baller. And while I am fully conversant with the outdated slang version of that word, some of you non-kids may not be familiar with the current usage your own selves. 😉 Damn you, **soup\_du\_jour**. Stupid work getting in the way of timely posting. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2003, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-balling-right-now/164314/16 "2003-03-26T18:28:39Z")
“Balling” is also slang for playing basketball. So maybe they didn’t mean crying or humping… maybe they meant they were on a fast break looking for an open man or something. ---
**Author:** ![El\_Elvis\_Rojo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/898d66/32.png) [@El\_Elvis\_Rojo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Elvis_Rojo)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2003, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-balling-right-now/164314/17 "2003-03-26T18:28:59Z")
I know men aren’t supposed to cry, but I’ve been balling for several months now. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2003, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-balling-right-now/164314/18 "2003-03-26T18:30:31Z")
I should read the thread more closely, I guess. So now I nominate “Ball” as slang for “looking like a dork posting something that someone else already posted.” Hence, “RickJay balled up pretty bad in that thread.” ---
**Author:** ![SandyHook](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dec6dc/32.png) [@SandyHook](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SandyHook)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2003, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-balling-right-now/164314/19 "2003-03-26T18:48:26Z")
Eve wrote: > [@](#): > > “I’m balling at work right now” Living in Nevada where prostitution is legal (in places) and having 4 nookietoriums within 20 minutes of our house gives the phrase, “balling at work,” added meaning. ---
**Author:** ![CuriousCanuck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/d2c977/32.png) [@CuriousCanuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CuriousCanuck)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2003, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-balling-right-now/164314/20 "2003-03-26T18:59:49Z")
OK, one of those was me. I noticed after I had hit submit. To be honest, I was not thinking too much of my gramamr at that moment. I also felt it would NOT be appropriate to correct it in such a thread. It does not trivialize my sypmpathies in the slightest. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-balling-right-now/164314.md?page=2)