# Question for non-Americans - sports talk?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-for-non-americans-sports-talk/719464>\
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion\
**Created:** [May 7, 2015, 9:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-for-non-americans-sports-talk/719464 "2015-05-07T09:42:56Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 3

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**Author:** ![Urbanredneck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ea5d25/32.png) [@Urbanredneck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Urbanredneck)\
**Post date:** [May 12, 2015, 11:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-for-non-americans-sports-talk/719464/41 "2015-05-12T11:41:47Z")

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> [@Hari\_Seldon](#):
>
> Even–or especially–if you know what it means, it is not very evocative. To me, it would suggest that the race was tied coming into the last days of the campaign, but this guy had an advantage, but no certainty. Unless his lead has a good tick shot.

In the US they would use horse racing terms like “neck and neck” meaning equal or if someone wins by a small margin its “win by a nose” or a race close to the ending is “the home stretch”.

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**Author:** ![Dead\_Cat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9fc29f/32.png) [@Dead\_Cat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dead_Cat)\
**Post date:** [May 12, 2015, 11:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-for-non-americans-sports-talk/719464/42 "2015-05-12T11:49:28Z")

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> [@Aspidistra](#):
>
> What about “handball”? Is that common in other countries?
> 
> As in “I’m going to handball this issue to you” (give it to you to deal with)
> 
> I’ve always assumed it comes from Aussie Rules, though I see there is an actual sport called Handball too (not very big)

I’ve never heard of this in the UK, although handball is not at all popular here I agree with you it is probably an Aussie rules reference.

The term “to peg out” (meaning to die) comes from croquet, where you “peg out” in order to finish the game.

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**Author:** ![tonyfop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/85f322/32.png) [@tonyfop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tonyfop)\
**Post date:** [May 12, 2015, 11:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-for-non-americans-sports-talk/719464/43 "2015-05-12T11:54:51Z")

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> [@Nava](#):
>
> …_Venir_ or _subir por la banda izquierda/pujar per la banda esquerra_: to arrive from the left side of the playing field, to approach something from an unexpected direction, to come from the blind spot…

I’m pretty sure “It came out of Left Field” is a baseball reference, since Left Field is an actual position in baseball.

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**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\
**Post date:** [May 12, 2015, 2:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-for-non-americans-sports-talk/719464/44 "2015-05-12T14:01:08Z")

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I was talking about this with my brother and he mentioned, from fishing and poker (well cards of some description):

hook, line and sinker  
open a can of worms  
up the ante  
when the chips are down  
playing the hand you are dealt

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**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\
**Post date:** [May 13, 2015, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-for-non-americans-sports-talk/719464/45 "2015-05-13T21:42:10Z")

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I thought the thread would be about sports talk on the radio – I can only imagine that the football discussions in England would get pretty heated!

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