Word Play

Recently, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, interviewed on CNN by Fareed Zakaria, predicted that ongoing reforms in his country would soon enable Greece to “punch above its weight.” (Mr. Mitsotakis did spend six years in the U. S. studying at Harvard and Stanford.) Sometime earlier, the veteran journalist Andrea Mitchel, noting that no one had expected Donald Trump to cross into North Korea to meet with Kim Jun Un, speculated that it was likely an “audible,” assuming that most everyone in her audience understood the football reference, a term referring to a quarterback who on his own changes the upcoming play at the line of scrimmage.
If an “audible” can be considered part of everyday parlance, what other sports words or references have entered our vocabulary? Which sports have contributed more than others? Can we gauge the popularity of a sport based upon this measure? Probably not. Interest in soccer has exploded in the U.S. Yet that sport has not contributed much to our vernacular (“push the ball forward”). Auto racing enjoys a huge following, but, except for “victory lap,” “pit stop” has had little impact on our language. Then again, neither has the enormously popular game of golf (“par for the course,” “mulligan,” “gimme”), or hockey for that matter (“enforcer,” “face off,” “dropping the glove”), or surprisingly basketball (“slam dunk,” “full court press,” and “the ball is in their court”). There’d be little expectation of contributions from pool (“behind the eight ball”) or cricket (“bowled over”). Before turning to those sports that have expanded our vocabulary, let’s first consider the body of general sports terms that enrich our everyday conversations.
“A” game… also ran… all-star… ahead of the game… ahead of the pack… a run for your money… bad sport… back in the game… ballpark figure… bench… be in the race… bounce it off… bloodied… bush league… bye… betting man… catch up… cheap shot… Cinderella team… cheerleader… champion… come from behind… comeback… come into play… dead last… deep bench… defending champion… drop the ball… end game… even money… fair play… fans.. fair weather fan… field (a team)… first string… front runner… fix is in… gamer… game on… gamesmanship… game face… game plan… game, set, match… get the ball rolling… got game… get a jump on… good sport… go to the mat… grandstanding… game over… heavy hitter… head fake… hot hand… hot streak… home team… in the zone… in the hole… in a league of their own… in the running… it’s a whole new ballgame… It’s not whether you win or lose but how you play the game… junior varsity… keep your eye on the ball… keeping the pressure on… lost a step… level playing field… long shot… last licks… meet your match… money player… may the best man win… match up… misplay… nip and tuck… odds on favorite… out of bounds… on the ball… old college try… out of your league… off and running… off to the races… on the fly… on the run… out of the running… one-sided… odds-on favorite… off the wall… opening round… overmatched… outplayed… playing catch up… play ball with… pass the baton… play by play… picked off… run out the clock… runaway… running up the score… rookie… rematch… running start… run the table… runner up… rope-a-dope… race to the finish… rain check… sitting on a lead… scrimmage… sportsmanship… square off… scored… score card… second team… scoreboard… subpar… shadow boxing… showboating… sure bet… showdown… second string… sweet spot… that’s the way the ball bounces… tryout… toss up… take one for the team… time out… tie… team player… top of your game… team spirit… three strikes and you’re out… team up with… trash talk… wild card… wheelhouse… winner… win, win… winners circle… win or lose… winning streak… wait ‘til next year… unforced error… underdog… upset.
Where should we turn to uncover more specific verbal crossovers?
HORSE RACING – Across the board… At the drop of a hat… by a nose… down to the wire… dark horse… fast track… finish line… hands down… home stretch… in the saddle… jockeying for position… photo finish… neck and neck… play the field… quick off the mark… race to the finish… rein in… right out of the gate… saddle up… spit the bit… spur on… starting gate… stretch run… thoroughbred… trifecta.
FOOTBALL – Backpedal… blindsided… blitz… bomb… carry the ball… bench… bench player… end run… fumble.. ground game… hail Mary… handoff… kickoff… Monday morning quarterback… moving the goal posts… out of bounds… piling on… playbook… political football… punt… quarterback… run interference… run with the ball… sack… sidelined… spike the ball… tackling.
BASEBALL – Backstop… batting average… born on third base… ballpark figure… balk… Bronx cheer… between the lines… bullpen… catch… curveball… drop the ball… go to bat for… grand slam… hit a home run… in the ballpark… hit it out of the park… heavy hitter… keep your eye on the ball… major league.. on deck… off base… late innings… pitch… out of left field… pinch hitting… pitching in… play hardball… play the field… right off the bat… rhubarb… run down… screwball… softball (question)… strikeout… step up to the plate… switch hitter… three strikes and you’re out… touch base… thrown a curve.
Most surprising is the linguistic imprint of boxing. No longer does it have the audience it once did, but it has surely left its mark.
BOXING – Back into a corner… bare knuckles… beat to the punch… blow by blow… come out swinging… beat the daylight out of… contender… counted out… counterpuncher… down for the count… down and out… don’t count him (her) out… early rounds… fair fight… go the distance… go toe to toe… have someone in your corner… hang up the gloves… haymaker… hit below the belt… hit the canvas… infighting… knockout… knockout blow… land a punch… lightweight… low blow… mouthpieces… on the ropes… no holds barred… one two punch… pack a punch… pull your punches… punch drunk… put the gloves on… round… roll with the punch… saved by the bell… square off… sucker punch… take a dive… take it on the chin… take the gloves off… take a punch… throw in the towel… throw your hat in the ring.
So, next time you’re at a loss for words, sports lingo could come to your rescue, to “get you back in the game.”