Thirty Sports Idioms to Help You Through the Summer

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With everyone’s attention on Wimbledon and the World Cup at the moment, it’s hard to leave home without sports coming up in conversation. But do we actually talk about sports more than we realise?

Today – just in case you’re not sick of sports quite yet – we’re sharing some sports-related idioms alongside their definitions.

  1. across the board – applying to all
     
  2. at this stage of the game – at this point during the activity/event
     
  3. ball is in your court - it is up to you to make the next move
     
  4. ballpark figure – an approximate guess
     
  5. blow-by-blow – detailed step-by-step description
     
  6. down for the count – defeated
     
  7. down to the wire – at the very last moment
     
  8. fighting chance – a fair chance of success
     
  9. get one's feet wet – to begin an activity for the first time
     
  10. in deep water – in trouble
     
  11. neck and neck – even/level in a race or competition
     
  12. off to a running start – a favourable beginning
     
  13. out of left field – unexpected
     
  14. out of one’s depth – beyond one’s ability
     
  15. safe bet – certain to succeed
     
  16. to back the wrong horse – to make the wrong choice/to support the wrong thing
     
  17. to bounce off – to test ideas on someone
     
  18. to call the shots – to be in control
     
  19. to clear a hurdle – to overcome an obstacle
     
  20. to cover all bases – to prepare for all outcomes/situations
     
  21. to dive in headfirst/to dive right into – to do something impulsively/to do something without hesitation
     
  22. to drop the ball – to make a mistake/mishandle something
     
  23. to jump off the deep end – to become deeply involved in something before you are fully prepared
     
  24. to jump the gun – to get ahead of yourself/to start something before you’re supposed to
     
  25. to set the pace – to lead in something at a rate which others attempt to match
     
  26. to sink or swim – to fail or succeed
     
  27. to test the water – to judge whether a plan will be successful before taking further action
     
  28. to toe the line – to accept the authority and rules of a person/group, usually unwillingly
     
  29. to win by a neck/nose – to succeed by a small amount
     
  30. too close to call – too difficult to predict an outcome (usually because the competitors are so evenly matched)

Can you guess which sport each idiom might have originated from? Are there any idioms you don’t know the meaning of? Let us know on Facebook, Twitter, or by leaving a comment below, and we’ll find out for you!

You can find links to our other posts on idioms below:

Have a good week!


01 Jul 2014
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