# Three goals' a "hat trick," four goals = "?" **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [December 15, 2017, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-goals-a-hat-trick-four-goals/804580 "2017-12-15T20:39:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2017, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-goals-a-hat-trick-four-goals/804580/1 "2017-12-15T20:39:46Z")
Wonder if there is any colloquial term for when an athlete scores four goals (or touchdowns, or whatnot) or more in a game. Two’s a “brace,” three’s a “hat trick” - I know that four goals in a game is rare enough that there might not be a term for it, but is there any casual/popular term used for instances where 4, 5, or even more goals are scored in a game? ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2017, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-goals-a-hat-trick-four-goals/804580/2 "2017-12-15T20:45:45Z")
“a fucking miracle”? ---
**Author:** ![jz78817](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jz78817/32/1028_2.png) [@jz78817](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jz78817)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2017, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-goals-a-hat-trick-four-goals/804580/3 "2017-12-15T20:50:47Z")
> [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > “a fucking miracle”? Sergei Fedorov did it in 1996. Anyway the term "hat trick" came from cricket. > **[Hat-trick | Origin](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hat-trick#Origin)** > > The term first appeared in 1858 in cricket, to describe H. H. Stephenson taking three wickets with three consecutive deliveries. Fans held a collection for Stephenson, and presented him with a hat bought with the proceeds. The term was used in print for the first time in 1865 in the Chelmsford Chronicle.\[non-primary source needed\] The term was eventually adopted by many other sports including hockey, association football, Formula 1 racing, rugby, and water polo. I don’t think there’s a name for 4 or more goals. Oh, there is the “Gordie Howe Hat Trick”: A goal, an assist, and a fight 😃 ---
**Author:** ![dalej42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@dalej42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalej42)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2017, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-goals-a-hat-trick-four-goals/804580/4 "2017-12-15T21:04:00Z")
A pants trick! You throw your pants on the ice after 4 goals are scored. Seriously, this term was created by the Puck Podcast, a long running and popular hockey podcast. I’ve heard it mentioned during an NHL game once or twice. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2017, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-goals-a-hat-trick-four-goals/804580/5 "2017-12-15T22:22:11Z")
In baseball, a batter striking out three times in one game is a “hat trick”. Four times is a “[golden sombrero](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golden_sombrero)”. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2017, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-goals-a-hat-trick-four-goals/804580/6 "2017-12-15T23:32:33Z")
> [@jz78817](#): > > Sergei Fedorov did it in 1996. Or when [Mario Lemieux](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_vsNRwBLFlQ) scored five goals in five different ways. ---
**Author:** ![california\_jobcase](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9d8465/32.png) [@california\_jobcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/california_jobcase)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2017, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-goals-a-hat-trick-four-goals/804580/7 "2017-12-15T23:59:19Z")
It’s only three, but three strikes in a row is called a turkey when bowling. ---
**Author:** ![jaycat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jaycat/32/3015_2.png) [@jaycat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jaycat)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2017, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-goals-a-hat-trick-four-goals/804580/8 "2017-12-16T01:09:23Z")
Four’s the Sombrero, Five’s the Golden Sombrero. I remember this from watching The Bruins in the 1970s on a 10-inch B&W TV with lousy reception. ---
**Author:** ![buddha\_david](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ee7513/32.png) [@buddha\_david](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/buddha_david)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2017, 12:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-goals-a-hat-trick-four-goals/804580/9 "2017-12-16T12:55:19Z")
Scoring four touchdowns in a single football game should be called an [Al Bundy.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DikpddPf79g) ---
**Author:** ![Channing\_Idaho\_Banks](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/channing_idaho_banks/32/250_2.png) [@Channing\_Idaho\_Banks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Channing_Idaho_Banks)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2017, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-goals-a-hat-trick-four-goals/804580/10 "2017-12-16T15:48:15Z")
How about goals two three and four? Are they a hat-trick, too? Let’s say you score your last three goals in the final period, the commentators are going to say he had a hat trick in the final period! what about the first hat trick? ---
**Author:** ![Chisquirrel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6bbea6/32.png) [@Chisquirrel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chisquirrel)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2017, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-goals-a-hat-trick-four-goals/804580/11 "2017-12-17T15:06:06Z")
> [@Guinastasia](#): > > Or when [Mario Lemieux](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_vsNRwBLFlQ) scored five goals in five different ways. Clean up, solo, assisted slap shot, penalty shot, open net. That’s frickin’ incredible. > [@Channing\_Idaho\_Banks](#): > > How about goals two three and four? Are they a hat-trick, too? Let’s say you score your last three goals in the final period, the commentators are going to say he had a hat trick in the final period! what about the first hat trick? It’s hat tricks all the way down, like pairs or 15 in cribbage. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2017, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-goals-a-hat-trick-four-goals/804580/12 "2017-12-17T15:13:16Z")
> [@jz78817](#): > > Sergei Fedorov did it in 1996. Four goal games happen every year. Hell, last season, Auston Matthews scored four goals in his first NHL game. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2017, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-goals-a-hat-trick-four-goals/804580/13 "2017-12-17T17:43:20Z")
> [@Chisquirrel](#): > > Clean up, solo, assisted slap shot, penalty shot, open net. That’s frickin’ incredible. It was also just voted [greatest moment in NHL history](https://www.nhl.com/news/mario-lemieux-feels-honored-to-win-greatest-nhl-moment/c-294104984?tid=282169076). 😃 ---
**Author:** ![jz78817](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jz78817/32/1028_2.png) [@jz78817](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jz78817)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2017, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-goals-a-hat-trick-four-goals/804580/14 "2017-12-18T19:49:40Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > Four goal games happen every year. Hell, last season, Auston Matthews scored four goals in his first NHL game. I know, I know. I went to the game last Friday (Toronto at Detroit) and while I was at Hockeytown all anyone wearing blue & white could talk about was Matthews. Too bad he wasn’t playing that night… ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2017, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-goals-a-hat-trick-four-goals/804580/15 "2017-12-18T21:08:10Z")
Five goals could be a “Lewandowski.” ---
**Author:** ![Deser2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/dfb087/32.png) [@Deser2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Deser2)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2017, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-goals-a-hat-trick-four-goals/804580/16 "2017-12-20T21:16:39Z")
Four-bagger ---
**Author:** ![Krav\_Manga](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/krav_manga/32/3153_2.png) [@Krav\_Manga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Krav_Manga)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2017, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-goals-a-hat-trick-four-goals/804580/17 "2017-12-21T02:20:52Z")
Well in cricket 4 wickets in 4 balls is a double hat-trick, so maybe that will do? ---
**Author:** ![RitterSport](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rittersport/32/6326_2.png) [@RitterSport](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RitterSport)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2017, 1:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-goals-a-hat-trick-four-goals/804580/18 "2017-12-22T13:27:55Z")
> [@Chisquirrel](#): > > Clean up, solo, assisted slap shot, penalty shot, open net. That’s frickin’ incredible. Funny, I thought they meant even strength, shortie, power play, penalty, open net. Any real hockey fans want to break the tie? ---
**Author:** ![Ass\_For\_A\_Hat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ec9cab/32.png) [@Ass\_For\_A\_Hat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ass_For_A_Hat)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2017, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-goals-a-hat-trick-four-goals/804580/19 "2017-12-26T21:16:14Z")
There’s been a real drought of five goal games in recent years. From 1975 - 1996 there were 31 five goal games (4 each for Gretzky and Super Mario). Since 1996, only two…Gaborik (12/20/07) and Franzen (2/2/11). ---
**Author:** ![Asimovian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asimovian/32/172_2.png) [@Asimovian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asimovian)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2017, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-goals-a-hat-trick-four-goals/804580/20 "2017-12-26T22:09:33Z")
> [@california\_jobcase](#): > > It’s only three, but three strikes in a row is called a turkey when bowling. And for (the very few of) us who actually follow professional bowling, we know that PBA announcers Randy Pedersen and Rob Stone unofficially turned four in a row into a “hambone” (or just a four-bagger, if you’re boring). [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-goals-a-hat-trick-four-goals/804580.md?page=2)