# Did you know what "underdogging" was as a kid? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [February 18, 2009, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-know-what-underdogging-was-as-a-kid/486398 "2009-02-18T14:29:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2009, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-know-what-underdogging-was-as-a-kid/486398/1 "2009-02-18T14:29:48Z")
It’s a slang term for pushing a kid on a swing and then running forward underneath it before the kid can swing back down and bonk you on the head with his feet. I was told about it by a guy who said that, growing up in NE Ohio in the 1970s, it was a common term. I grew up in a different town but in the same region and time, and I’d never heard it before. Had you? Tell me your age and where you grew up, please. Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2009, 2:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-know-what-underdogging-was-as-a-kid/486398/2 "2009-02-18T14:35:06Z")
NE Ohio in the 80s - never heard of it. ---
**Author:** ![Inner\_Stickler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inner_stickler/32/318_2.png) [@Inner\_Stickler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inner_Stickler)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2009, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-know-what-underdogging-was-as-a-kid/486398/3 "2009-02-18T14:36:12Z")
SE Minnesota in the 90s. I’m very familiar with the term. ---
**Author:** ![Amp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Amp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amp)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2009, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-know-what-underdogging-was-as-a-kid/486398/4 "2009-02-18T14:37:58Z")
NE Ohio in the 80’s also. Never heard of it. ---
**Author:** ![ParentalAdvisory](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/53a042/32.png) [@ParentalAdvisory](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ParentalAdvisory)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2009, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-know-what-underdogging-was-as-a-kid/486398/5 "2009-02-18T14:42:14Z")
NE Illinois I’m familiar with the term. ---
**Author:** ![VarlosZ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/d78d45/32.png) [@VarlosZ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VarlosZ)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2009, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-know-what-underdogging-was-as-a-kid/486398/6 "2009-02-18T14:43:31Z")
New York City, born in '80. This is my first time hearing of either the term or the practice. ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2009, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-know-what-underdogging-was-as-a-kid/486398/7 "2009-02-18T14:44:07Z")
Michigan in the eighties, and yes, I do have a faint recollection of it. Only we never used “underdogging”, quite, we used to say, “Give me an underdog! Underdog!” ---
**Author:** ![Paintcharge](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/paintcharge/32/7946_2.png) [@Paintcharge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paintcharge)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2009, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-know-what-underdogging-was-as-a-kid/486398/8 "2009-02-18T14:46:41Z")
Massachusetts in 80s. We did that, but it never had a name. ---
**Author:** ![StGermain](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stgermain/32/2868_2.png) [@StGermain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StGermain)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2009, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-know-what-underdogging-was-as-a-kid/486398/9 "2009-02-18T14:47:57Z")
Michigan in the '60’s. Sure, If someone was going to push you, getting an underdog was hte way to go. StG ---
**Author:** ![dwc1970](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a183cd/32.png) [@dwc1970](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dwc1970)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2009, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-know-what-underdogging-was-as-a-kid/486398/10 "2009-02-18T14:50:29Z")
I never heard of this. If someone had mentioned “underdogging” to me then I would have thought it was a reference to the cartoon. For the OP’s question, I am approaching 39 years of age. I’ve lived in Idaho for all my life. ---
**Author:** ![meow\_meow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f04885/32.png) [@meow\_meow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/meow_meow)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2009, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-know-what-underdogging-was-as-a-kid/486398/11 "2009-02-18T14:52:06Z")
Central NJ, mid-late 70’s - Yes! I loved the Underdog. I always thought it was related to the cartoon Underdog, who I also loved. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2009, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-know-what-underdogging-was-as-a-kid/486398/12 "2009-02-18T14:57:24Z")
Western NY, late 70s, yeah, we did the Underdog. (Except those metal cage swings which seem to be unique to that area and time, where you sat in a metal cage and rhythmically pulled handlebars to swing. Doing the underdog on those would be dangerous due to the heft and herky jerky motion of the swing.) ---
**Author:** ![Hal\_Briston](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a9a28c/32.png) [@Hal\_Briston](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hal_Briston)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2009, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-know-what-underdogging-was-as-a-kid/486398/13 "2009-02-18T14:59:23Z")
Huh…same location and time frame as **meow meow** , but this is the first time I’ve heard the term (outside of the cartoon, of course) or the action. ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2009, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-know-what-underdogging-was-as-a-kid/486398/14 "2009-02-18T15:00:28Z")
Never heard of it. Southern Ontario, 1970s. ---
**Author:** ![Swallowed\_My\_Cellphone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9d8465/32.png) [@Swallowed\_My\_Cellphone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Swallowed_My_Cellphone)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2009, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-know-what-underdogging-was-as-a-kid/486398/15 "2009-02-18T15:01:36Z")
Mostly grew up in Michigan, did some growing up in Ontario, Canada and I did hear the term in both regions. Grew up in the 1970s. Totally forgot about it until I read the OP though. I don’t think I heard “underdogging” it was always “to give an underdog”. ---
**Author:** ![romansperson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/romansperson/32/17100_2.png) [@romansperson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/romansperson)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2009, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-know-what-underdogging-was-as-a-kid/486398/16 "2009-02-18T15:03:10Z")
I also grew up in NE Ohio in the '70s and this thread is the first time I’ve heard the term. ---
**Author:** ![Cliffy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/59ef9b/32.png) [@Cliffy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cliffy)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2009, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-know-what-underdogging-was-as-a-kid/486398/17 "2009-02-18T15:05:11Z")
NE Ohio, '80’s – yes, it was a common term. –Cliffy ---
**Author:** ![Gfactor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/9de053/32.png) [@Gfactor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gfactor)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2009, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-know-what-underdogging-was-as-a-kid/486398/18 "2009-02-18T15:09:23Z")
Michigan in the 70s. I definitely knew the term and engaged in plenty of underdogging, at least until the accident. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![meow\_meow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f04885/32.png) [@meow\_meow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/meow_meow)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2009, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-know-what-underdogging-was-as-a-kid/486398/19 "2009-02-18T15:11:23Z")
> [@Hal\_Briston](#): > > Huh…same location and time frame as **meow meow** , but this is the first time I’ve heard the term (outside of the cartoon, of course) or the action. Tsk! You really missed out on some sweet, sweet backyard swing action…I don’t consider some towns in NJ to really be part of NJ, maybe you are from one of them? ---
**Author:** ![apollonia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/2bfe46/32.png) [@apollonia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/apollonia)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2009, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-know-what-underdogging-was-as-a-kid/486398/20 "2009-02-18T15:14:29Z")
Detroit in the early 90s. Yes, it was a common term. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-know-what-underdogging-was-as-a-kid/486398.md?page=2)