Thirty Sports Idioms to Help You Through the Summer
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.
- across the board – applying to all
- at this stage of the game – at this point during the activity/event
- ball is in your court - it is up to you to make the next move
- ballpark figure – an approximate guess
- blow-by-blow – detailed step-by-step description
- down for the count – defeated
- down to the wire – at the very last moment
- fighting chance – a fair chance of success
- get one's feet wet – to begin an activity for the first time
- in deep water – in trouble
- neck and neck – even/level in a race or competition
- off to a running start – a favourable beginning
- out of left field – unexpected
- out of one’s depth – beyond one’s ability
- safe bet – certain to succeed
- to back the wrong horse – to make the wrong choice/to support the wrong thing
- to bounce off – to test ideas on someone
- to call the shots – to be in control
- to clear a hurdle – to overcome an obstacle
- to cover all bases – to prepare for all outcomes/situations
- to dive in headfirst/to dive right into – to do something impulsively/to do something without hesitation
- to drop the ball – to make a mistake/mishandle something
- to jump off the deep end – to become deeply involved in something before you are fully prepared
- to jump the gun – to get ahead of yourself/to start something before you’re supposed to
- to set the pace – to lead in something at a rate which others attempt to match
- to sink or swim – to fail or succeed
- to test the water – to judge whether a plan will be successful before taking further action
- to toe the line – to accept the authority and rules of a person/group, usually unwillingly
- to win by a neck/nose – to succeed by a small amount
- 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
blog home
