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Aha! A thread of modest length at last! Having just returned from a bit of an absence to find an enormous backlog of unread postings, far too big to cope with, I will seize on our beloved Jackie's new(-ish) thread, perhaps also helping to get things back on track here(?)  The ever-entertaining Bill Bryson ( Made In America) gives quite a few words and phrases picked up from baseball by many other sports and activities, such as "double play", "raincheck", "southpaw" (an interesting derivation, too long for here, YCLIU), "fan" (in the sense of supporter), "double-header" (very common in many ball games now), "to play ball" (in the sense of cooperate). He points out that baseball generated a vast vocabulary during its nineteenth century adolescence, and a complete listing would run to several pages. As a matter of interest, recent neologisms apparently include "dial 8" for a home run and "Linda Ronstadt" for a good fastball. lusy
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old hand
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old hand
Joined: Mar 2000
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I shouldn't really dignify an Arsenal supporter with a reply, but.... "Bo-o-o-o-o-o-o-ring".
(Given the way Spurs are doing right now, to be honest, even that traditional chant is probably not applicable any more. Bring back Ossie Ardiles!)
cheer
the sunshine warrior
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veteran
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veteran
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Is that phrase "a ball-park figure" (bane of my working life) derived from baseball specifically?
Any ideas when the phrase was first used?
(People who drink a lot of beer can end up with a ball-park figure)
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Sep 2000
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Interesting. I had previously though southpaw came from boxing, where traditionally the left hand of a right-hander would be held lower than the main fist. Please tell me more.
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Pooh-Bah
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Pooh-Bah
Joined: Aug 2000
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. Bring back Ossie Ardiles
Bring back Alf Ramsay!! - the best full-back who ever played. And whatever happened to the "W" formation, pioneered by Spurs in the '50s?
Things have never been the same since footballers started wearing crotch-length shorts and gave up using brylcreem!
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Pooh-Bah
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Pooh-Bah
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 2,204 |
So far as UK English is concerned, I would guess that Cricket has been the most fruitful source of words entering every-day speech.
I'm trying to think of some off the top of my head and have to admit I'm stumped. I would make some up, but I think I would be caught out of my crease. Our NZ and Oz friends would soon have me clean bowled, I suspect.
I'll stp this - no doubt you'll be glad that it is over
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member
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I had previously though southpaw came from boxing ... Please tell me more.
The Bryson version ...
Southpaw has been attributed to Charles Seymour of the Chicago Times, because pitchers at the city's old West Side ballpark faced west, and thus a left-hander would stand with his throwing arm on his south side.
lusy
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Apr 2000
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the Word Detective says this: Personally, I have doubts about this story. It's a bit too perfect, and the Oxford English Dictionary lists a non-baseball citation for "south paw," meaning a punch with the left hand, from 1848 [which predates the Seymour usage]. That's a bit early for the phrase to have come from baseball, although it's not absolutely impossible. http://www.word-detective.com/093098.html1848 Democratic B-hoy, ‘I say, Lewy, give him a sockdologer!’ ‘Curse the Old Hoss, what a south-paw he has given me!’ 1885 Sporting Life 14 Jan. 4/3 They had always been accustomed to having their opponents hug their bases pretty close, out of respect for Morris' quick throw over to first with that south-paw of his. [OED]
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Pooh-Bah
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Pooh-Bah
Joined: Mar 2000
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>Bring back Alf Ramsay
Actually I would have thought that Stanley Matthews was more in your line - didn't he play in your neck of the woods?
This type of conversation is a little like throwing in a spoiler every now and then. It's like the big guys are discussing something we don't really understand, so we're having a conversation across theirs about something completely different. I'm amazed that anyone who doesn't speak English as a first language survives for very long!
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Carpal Tunnel
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OP
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 11,613 |
It's like the big guys are discussing something we don't really understand, Jo, I haven't a clue, either! Some of these names might be U.S. players, for all I know! 'SGreek to me!
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