In the Olympic spirit: A look at the idioms that come from sports - explainer

With the Olympic spirit in the air, this seems like an apt time to delve into the derivations of some of the terms and expressions in our lexicon that emanate from the world of sports. 

The word “sport” comes from the Old French word desport, meaning “leisure.” The oldest definition of “sport” in English dates back to 1300, meaning “anything that people find amusing or entertaining.”

Right off the bat, the term “ballpark figure” denotes a number that you approximate to be near the correct number. The idiom originates from baseball. A ballpark has a set number of seats. On the day of a game, the commentator would estimate the number of people attending the game. That number became known as the “ballpark figure.”

I cannot even begin to fathom the ballpark figure of how many idioms originate from the sporting realm, but let’s get the ball rolling and take a look at some of the familiar phrases that come into play – some of whose origins may seem to come out of left field.

Out of left field origins: The history of sports idioms

For starters, we’ll cover some more of our bases in the ballpark. The term “bleachers,” which references the benches for spectators, dates back to 1889. That seating area was so named because the uncovered wooden boards were bleached by the sun. 

The phrase “batting 1,000” means having a perfect record. The term comes from baseball statistics. Getting a hit for every turn at bat results in a batting average of 1,000. 

Some of the expressions that come from baseball are relatively self-explanatory. In common parlance, to “hit a home run” means to succeed at something. To “step up to the plate” means to take responsibility for doing something. To “throw a curve ball” means to surprise someone with something that’s unpleasant to deal with. To “touch base” means to talk briefly to someone. To “strike out” means to fail in an attempt at something. And to “knock it out of the park” means to succeed spectacularly or unexpectedly well.

While knocking it out of the park is a great thing on the baseball field, getting knocked out is not a good situation for a pugilist in the boxing ring. If a boxer is unable to get up and resume the bout within 10 seconds after being knocked down, his opponent will be declared the winner by KO, or knockout, while the former is “down for the count.” A TKO, aka technical knockout, is declared when the referee decides during a round that a boxer cannot safely continue the match. 

Again, some of the idioms spawned from the sparring ring are quite straightforward, such as “heavyweight”; “lightweight”; “hit below the belt”; “beat someone to the punch”; “sucker punch”; “bob and weave”; “low blow;” “pull your punches”; “roll with the punches”; and “ringside seat.” 

Some expressions require a little more background, such as “throw in the towel.” This idiom, which means to give up, stems from the custom of a member of a boxer’s support team tossing a towel into the ring to indicate that the boxer concedes defeat. Conversely, to “toss one’s hat into the ring,” meaning to issue a challenge or indicate one’s interest in participating, comes from the custom of a challenger throwing his hat into a boxing ring when a boxer took on random opponents. 

To “have someone in your corner” – that is, to have an ally – refers to the boxer’s support team, positioned in a corner of the ring. “Straight from the shoulder,” meaning direct and forthright, is analogous to a boxer’s blow delivered using his full strength. To “take a dive,” or throw a fight, comes from a boxer pretending to fall down after being struck, thus deliberately losing the fight. To “take it on the chin” means to stand up to criticism, from the idea of a boxer receiving a blow on the chin without falling down. And “saved by the bell,” which connotes being rescued from difficulty at the last moment, originates from the bell that is rung to signal the end of a round – much to the relief of a boxer who may be “punch drunk.” 

And speaking of round, why is it called a “boxing ring” when the structure within which the fighting takes place is square? The boxing ring dates back to the ancient Greek Olympic games, where boxing was a popular event. For the boxing sphere, the Greeks used a circular raised platform surrounded by ropes. Over the generations, sparring men drew circles in the ground within which they would duke it out. And spectators gathered around the fighters, forming a “ring” of onlookers. In the early 20th century, the Marquess of Queensberry Rules were introduced, which established guidelines for the sport. According to the rules, the boxing ring should be square, with four corner posts connected by ropes. In that regard, the expression “on the ropes” means that a person is close to giving up or being defeated. It alludes to a boxer being forced back to the ropes of the boxing ring and leaning against them for support, 

While a boxer may be “down for the count,” in horse racing a race may be “down to the wire,” meaning that it is a very close race, and the winner won’’t be known until the very last moment. The term references the former practice of stretching a wire across and above the track at the finish line to determine which horse comes through first. Thus the expression has come to mean “down to the last minute.” 

The term “photo finish” has a similar origin. A photo finish occurs in a race when multiple competitors cross the finish line at nearly the same time. As the naked eye may not be able to determine which of the competitors crossed the line first, a photo or video taken at the finish line may be used for a more accurate check. 

When it comes to betting at the race track, the term “across the board” is related to that activity. “Across the board” means pertaining to all categories or things. Originating in 1903, the phrase denotes betting win, place, and show on one ticket. In that scenario, the bettor will collect all three pay-outs if the horse comes in first; will collect place and show if the horse comes in second, and will collect just show if the horse comes in third. The “board” refers to the placard on which the on-course bookmakers displayed the betting odds. 

The term “dark horse” refers to a race horse regarded as having potential but whose full capabilities have not been revealed. The expression now refers to any unexpected success. In politics, a “dark horse candidate” is one who unexpectedly comes up from behind. The term “dark horse” was first used by Benjamin Disraeli in his 1831 novel The Young Duke, where he wrote: “...a dark horse, which had never been thought of… rushed past the grand stand in sweeping triumph.” 

Need a breather or shall I go on? 

Okay, we’re still off to the races.

To “take a breather” means to stop what you’re doing for a short time and have a rest. On the race track, the term applies to a jockey restraining or easing off on a horse for a short distance to allow it to fill its lungs during a race.

The term “hands down” means without much effort; easily; without question. How does that relate to horse racing? The phrase originated in the mid-19th century. When a horse is so far ahead of the rest that a win is assured, the jockey may loosen his grip on the reins and drop his hands down to his side as he and his horse approach the finish line. 

Those are just some of the many terms and expression that are derived from sports. In regard to sports-related quotable quotes, my all-time favorite comes from American figure skating champion Michelle Kwan. I cite it whenever I have the opportunity.

In the 1998 Winter Olympic Games in Nagano, Japan, Kwan won the silver medal. Subsequently, she appeared as a guest on The Tonight Show. Host Jay Leno asked her, “How did it feel to lose the gold?” To which Kwan replied, “I didn’t lose the gold – I won the silver.”

The epitome of a good sport, hands down.■