# Sports slang around the world **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 14, 2008, 4:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sports-slang-around-the-world/449247 "2008-05-14T04:21:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![bordelond](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bordelond/32/150_2.png) [@bordelond](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bordelond)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2008, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sports-slang-around-the-world/449247/21 "2008-05-14T19:28:30Z")
[QUOTE=Usram] Anyway, more from football: “Kick-off”, meaning the start of any event such as a wedding (“What time’s kick-off?”) … “Move the goalposts” - change the rules or aims of a project half way through [/QUOTE] Interestingly, these are well known in the U.S., and make perfect sense in the context of American football, as well. I wonder whether the OED’s earliest references for both are English or American (or, heck, maybe Canadian)? ---
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2008, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sports-slang-around-the-world/449247/22 "2008-05-14T19:58:05Z")
[QUOTE=Dead Cat] One from my sport, croquet: “to peg out” is a common slang term for “die”, and comes from croquet where you peg out to finish a game. I think there are others but I cannot recall them at the moment. [/QUOTE] Seems to me it’s more likely that this came from cribbage. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2008, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sports-slang-around-the-world/449247/23 "2008-05-14T20:15:04Z")
[QUOTE=Really Not All That Bright] Probably even fewer than that. I’m 6’0" and even when I was in excellent shape I didn’t have a hope of doing more than brushing the rim. [/QUOTE] I was being kind. And pulled a number out of my ass. You are right, probably over 99%. Very few basketball players below a certain level can do it. And as we learned from the movie, white men can’t jump. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2008, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sports-slang-around-the-world/449247/24 "2008-05-14T20:16:10Z")
[QUOTE=Rayne Man] “early bath” (from the late and great rugby-league commentator Eddy Waring), meaning you have been made to leave a task sooner than you planned. [/QUOTE] In the US it would be “hit the showers”. ---
**Author:** ![SanVito](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sanvito/32/2805_2.png) [@SanVito](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SanVito)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2008, 12:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sports-slang-around-the-world/449247/25 "2008-05-15T12:59:26Z")
From rugby: ‘hospital pass’. In rugby, this would be when a team mate throws you a stupid ball, whereby you’re bound to get tackled and probably injured if you catch it. In general life, ‘hospital pass’ would be when you’re handed a rotten or unachievable task: Joe: ‘I thought Jim would be the best person to do the [Complicated and Unwinnable] Tender’ Jim: ‘Yeah, thanks for that hospital pass Joe’ ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2008, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sports-slang-around-the-world/449247/26 "2008-05-15T16:51:16Z")
Throw in the towel. From boxing, I believe, meaning to surrender. ---
**Author:** ![AskNott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asknott/32/5790_2.png) [@AskNott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AskNott)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2008, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sports-slang-around-the-world/449247/27 "2008-05-15T20:11:47Z")
Chipper Jones (baseball player) was seen to grab his crotch while batting and limp to first base. After the game, he was asked, on camera if he was hurt. He smirked, and he said, “No, it was an eye-doctor problem, and that’s all I’m gonna say about that.” It seemed to be something he couldn’t say on TV. What was that about? ---
**Author:** ![griffin1977](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/977dab/32.png) [@griffin1977](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/griffin1977)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2008, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sports-slang-around-the-world/449247/28 "2008-05-15T20:21:21Z")
A “duck” (to get bowled out for without getting a run) is used alot in Britain as non-sporting term, as is “breaking his duck” (i.e. getting first run). ---
**Author:** ![AskNott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asknott/32/5790_2.png) [@AskNott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AskNott)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2008, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sports-slang-around-the-world/449247/29 "2008-05-15T20:27:10Z")
Here’s a plot cliche. In a non-sports situation: When somebody’s in a bind, with one last chance to get it right, it’s not unusual to hear some other person try to explain how important it is. “It’s the bottom of the ninth (inning), the score is tied, there’s two out, and it’s all up to you. Don’t strike out.” ---
**Author:** ![Who\_me\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/958977/32.png) [@Who\_me\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Who_me_1)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2008, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sports-slang-around-the-world/449247/30 "2008-05-16T00:53:12Z")
[QUOTE=Loach] I was being kind. And pulled a number out of my ass. You are right, probably over 99%. Very few basketball players below a certain level can do it. And as we learned from the movie, white men can’t jump. [/QUOTE] Some can… I’m 6’2", white, and in high school I could stand flat footed under the basket, just jump and dunk without trying hard. I’m 50 now and you probably couldn’t slide a piece of paper under my feet when I jump. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2008, 1:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sports-slang-around-the-world/449247/31 "2008-05-16T01:58:14Z")
[QUOTE=Leaffan] Throw in the towel. From boxing, I believe, meaning to surrender. [/QUOTE] That concludes the act begun with throwing your hat in the ring, to challenge the champ at a free-for-all. ---
**Author:** ![Chez\_Guevara](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/aeb1de/32.png) [@Chez\_Guevara](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chez_Guevara)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2008, 2:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sports-slang-around-the-world/449247/32 "2008-05-16T02:13:16Z")
The term ‘to win hands down’ comes from horse racing. A rider whose mount is winning easily may drop his hands before the winning post and let the horse coast home. ---
**Author:** ![robardin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/43a26b/32.png) [@robardin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robardin)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2008, 2:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sports-slang-around-the-world/449247/33 "2008-05-16T02:45:47Z")
[QUOTE=AskNott] Chipper Jones (baseball player) was seen to grab his crotch while batting and limp to first base. After the game, he was asked, on camera if he was hurt. He smirked, and he said, “No, it was an eye-doctor problem, and that’s all I’m gonna say about that.” It seemed to be something he couldn’t say on TV. What was that about? [/QUOTE] I’m gonna guess that good ol’ Larry was referring to the one-eyed trouser snake needing an emergency field fix. You know, like Old Man Gustafson said in the outtakes _Grumpy Old Men_: “He’s takin’ old one-eye to the optometrist!” ---
**Author:** ![Capt\_B.Phart](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9fc29f/32.png) [@Capt\_B.Phart](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Capt_B.Phart)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2008, 11:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sports-slang-around-the-world/449247/34 "2008-05-16T11:21:32Z")
I was surprised to hear an American commentator talk about a politician who’d suffered setbacks as being “on the back foot” – I assume the expression comes from Cricket (where else do people have a front foot and a back foot?) ---
**Author:** ![Rayne\_Man](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/df705f/32.png) [@Rayne\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rayne_Man)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2008, 11:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sports-slang-around-the-world/449247/35 "2008-05-16T11:39:56Z")
[QUOTE=Capt B. Phart] I was surprised to hear an American commentator talk about a politician who’d suffered setbacks as being “on the back foot” – I assume the expression comes from Cricket (where else do people have a front foot and a back foot?) [/QUOTE] Could this be a boxing term, when a fighter is trying to defend himself from a sustained attack? ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2008, 11:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sports-slang-around-the-world/449247/36 "2008-05-16T11:47:09Z")
Eventually, he’ll find himself on the ropes - where he can use the Rope-A-Dope. ---
**Author:** ![BlackNGold](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/779978/32.png) [@BlackNGold](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlackNGold)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2008, 12:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sports-slang-around-the-world/449247/37 "2008-05-16T12:36:23Z")
[QUOTE=Philster] In the USA, we would say, “He’s batting out of his league”…with the same meaning. (Batting = baseball.) [/QUOTE] I like “He out-kicked his coverage” for this one, which I’ve been hearing recently for dating someone “out of his league”. This is an American football term for a punt that gets downfield too fast for the punter’s team to get their defense in place. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2008, 12:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sports-slang-around-the-world/449247/38 "2008-05-16T12:39:17Z")
Baseball caps are called _gorras de béisbol_ in Spain (yeah, “gorra” is cap), where all most people know about baseball is that it shows up often in American movies and involves bats. Some balls and a funny-shaped field appear to be involved, although the field might be optional… After all, it’s the same logic as calling, say, a “cowboy hat” a “cowboy hat.” Why would it be called by a different name in the places where it didn’t originate? I’ve been known to throw a few pieces of Spanish soccer slang to American coworkers, as a way to remind them to stay away from sports images when they’re presenting something to foreigners. I’m not going to subject you to them, but it works like a charm! ---
**Author:** ![Rayne\_Man](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/df705f/32.png) [@Rayne\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rayne_Man)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2008, 1:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sports-slang-around-the-world/449247/39 "2008-05-16T13:35:29Z")
There has always been a debate whether the phrase “back to square one” is a sporting term. One theory about the phrase says it stems from the practice of the _Radio Times_( the BBC listing magazine) printing a diagram of a football field divided into several lettered squares . This was to help radio listeners follow a match commentary, with the commentator naming the square where the action was taking place. This theory is disputed , with other people saying the phrase could originate from a board game, such as Snakes and Ladders, or the children’s game of Hopscotch. Both of which use squares. ---
**Author:** ![Rayne\_Man](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/df705f/32.png) [@Rayne\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rayne_Man)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2008, 1:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sports-slang-around-the-world/449247/40 "2008-05-16T13:49:14Z")
Correction. Of course I meant to say "numbered " instead of “lettered” squares. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sports-slang-around-the-world/449247.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sports-slang-around-the-world/449247.md?page=3)