Sports Idioms

Back to square one
Meaning:
Back to the beginning.
Example:
He had nearly climbed the cliff before he slipped off. Now it's back to square one.

Bat from the pavilion end
Meaning:
Slang term for a homosexuality.
Example:
If Julian didn't want us to know he was batting from the pavilion end he shouldn't keep wearing those lilac loafers.


Be a sport
Meaning:
Be generous and/or sportsmanlike.
Example:
Sorry Mr. Jones our ball is in your rose bed again. Be a sport and throw it back over the fence.

Boat race
Meaning:
Cockney rhyming slang for face.
Example:
Stupid am I! Look into my boat and say that again!

Bring your A game
Meaning:
Perform to the best of your ability.
Example:
The cup game tomorrow is the biggest in the club's history. Everyone in the team needs to bring his A game.

Double Header
Meaning:
A sports expression denoting two events held at the same time.
Example:
The semi-finals are always played together as a double-header to give no team an advantage.




Face card
Meaning:
The jack queen or king in a set of playing cards.
Example:
Cutting the pack and getting a face card isn't as unlikely as some might think - there's a 23% chance of that.

Field day
Meaning:
A day noted for remarkable or exciting events.
Example:
When my daughter was married everyone had a real field day.

Hat trick
Meaning:
A threefold feat in sports or some other activity.
Example:
Warne was really on good bowling form today - three wickets in three deliveries. That's the first hat-trick in the match.




Level playing field
Meaning:
Fair competition where no side has an advantage.
Example:
There were six of them and only four of us, so it wasn't really a level playing field.

Peg out
Meaning:
1. To die, especially to die of old age.
2. To complete a circuit of the board in the card game cribbage.
Example:
1. Gran had been bedridden for months and finally pegged out yesterday.
2. Just six more holes to go - if I get three nines I'll be able to peg out.

Play safe"
Meaning:
Avoid risk.
Example:
We could have invested in that new stock but we decided to play safe and wait for a more secure place for our money.

Saved by the bell
Meaning:
Saved by a last minute intervention.
Example:
That solar panel scheme was just about to be cancelled, then an environmentalist minister came in and it was saved by the bell.

The ball is in your court
Meaning:
It is your turn to make a decision.
Example:
I've done more than my share in this partnership. The ball is in your court to decide what happens next.





The sound of leather on willow
Meaning:
The sound of the ball on the bat in cricket.
Example:
There's nothing more English than this - sitting in a deckchair at the Worcester county ground, watching the match and the sound of leather on willow.


The sound of leather on willow
Meaning:
Give up, especially to avoid further punishment when facing certain defeat.
Example:
AltaVista tried to hang on and compete with Google, but eventually they just couldn't compete and were forced to throw the towel in.

Work out
Meaning:
1. Calculate using arithmetic.
2. Take exercise (also spelled 'workout').
Example:
1. We decided to share the bill for the taxi. My part worked out to four pounds.
2. I've joined the gym. My plan is to work out once a week.