Sports have always played a significant role in shaping our lives and cultures. From the roar of the crowd to the thrill of victory, the world of sports offers a rich tapestry of experiences that transcends boundaries and unites people across the globe. This captivating world has also seeped into our language, giving rise to a fascinating collection of sports idioms.
In this article, we will explore the origins, meanings, and usage of these idioms that have become an integral part of our everyday conversations.
| S.No. | Idiom | Meaning | Example Sentence |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | across the board | equal for everyone | Ten percent raises were given across the board. |
| 2 | at this stage in the game | at this time | Nobody knows who is going to win the election at this stage in the game. |
| 3 | the ball is in your court | it’s your decision or responsibility to do something now | “Do you think I should accept the job offer?” “Don’t ask me. The ball is in your court now”. |
| 4 | bark up the wrong tree | you’ve got the wrong person or idea | I think you’re barking up the wrong tree by blaming Matt for the missing money. |
| 5 | blind-sided | to not see something coming | George blind-sided Eric with his fist at the bar. |
| 6 | blow the competition away | win easily | If you wear that dress to the beauty pageant you are going to blow the competition away. |
| 7 | call the shots | make the decisions | While our boss is on vacation, Bob will call the shots. |
| 8 | chip in | help by donating money or time | The staff members chipped in 5 dollars each to buy Jody a birthday gift. |
| 9 | down to the wire | right at the end | It’s coming down to the wire to get these done on time. |
| 10 | front runner | one of the people who is expected to win | Angela is a front runner for the new supervisor position. |
| 11 | get a head start | start before all others | They gave the walkers a head start in the run for cancer. |
| 12 | get into the full swing | be comfortable doing something after some time | It will probably take a month of working at my new job before I get into the full swing of things. |
| 13 | get off the hook | escape, have responsibility removed | The child got off the hook for stealing because the security camera was broken. |
| 14 | give something or someone a fair shake | try for a while before giving up | You should give Nadine a fair shake before you decide she isn’t good enough for the job. |
| 15 | get a second wind | have a burst of energy after tiring | I was exhausted after 3 kilometres of running, but I got a second wind after I passed the beach. |
| 16 | give it your best shot | try your hardest | Give it your best shot and you may just make it to the finals. |
| 17 | give one a run for one’s money | try one’s hardest to defeat another person | I know the other team is expected to win, but let’s give them a run for their money tonight. |
| 18 | go overboard | do or say more than you need to | You can’t believe everything Janice says about Rick. She tends to go overboard when she’s complaining about him. |
| 19 | go to bat for someone | defend someone | Andy is asking for a salary increase, and I’m going to go to bat for him if the boss says no. |
| 20 | have the upper hand | have a better chance of winning or succeeding | The Blues have the upper hand in the tournament, because none of their players is injured. |
| 21 | hit below the belt | do or say something that is very unfair or cruel | Amanda was hitting below the belt when she called Adrian an unfit father. |
| 22 | hit a snag | come up against a problem | The renovations were going along great until we hit a snag with the carpet installation. |
| 23 | hold all the aces | expected to win or succeed | The children hold all the aces when it comes to the father-son baseball tournament. |
| 24 | the home stretch | almost the end | I think Alice’s pregnancy is in the home stretch. |
| 25 | hot shot (big shot) | a person who thinks they are the best | Even though Luke only placed 20th in the ski race, he thinks he’s a hot shot. |
| 26 | jump the gun | start too early | I guess I jumped the gun by buying Pam and Steve a wedding gift. They called off the engagement. |
| 27 | keep one’s head above water | try not to fall behind in work or other duties | We are so busy during the tourist season I can barely keep my head above water. |
| 28 | learn the ropes | understand new things | The first week on the job you will just be learning the ropes. |
| 29 | let her rip | go ahead now | Okay, here are the keys to your new car. Let her rip! |
| 30 | level playing field | everyone has an equal chance | The spelling bee is a level playing field because all of the kids are in grade nine. |
| 31 | long shot | a very difficult thing to accomplish | Jim thinks we can afford the house, but I think it’s a long shot. |
| 32 | make the cut | be chosen to be part of a team or group | I didn’t get a second interview, so I’m pretty sure I won’t make the cut. |
| 33 | neck and neck | to be in a close tie with someone | George and Stan are neck and neck in the hockey pool. Either of them could win the money. |
| 34 | no sweat | no problem | I told Lily it was no sweat for us to babysit next weekend. |
| 35 | not playing with a full deck of cards | not having full brain capacity | I think Jerry was still drunk at work on Sunday because he wasn’t playing with a full deck of cards. |
| 36 | not up to par | not good enough for a job or position | I’m afraid your resume isn’t up to par for the engineering position. |
| 37 | to be off base | not making a fair or true remark | You were way off base when you said Bill needed to lose weight. |
| 38 | on target | doing the right thing to succeed | We are on target to meet our budget this month. |
| 39 | on the ball | ready and able | The new receptionist is really on the ball when it comes to answering the phone. |
| 40 | out in left field | nowhere near being true, nowhere near doing something correctly | All of the students laughed when Joe gave an answer that was out in left field. |
| 41 | out of someone’s league | not as good as someone | I’d like to date Maria, but I’m afraid I’m out of her league. |
| 42 | par for the course | an expected circumstance | Waiting in line is par for the course at Christmas time. |
| 43 | plenty of other fish in the sea | there are many other men and women to date | I know you still love Jack, but remember there are plenty of other fish in the sea. |
| 44 | race against time | there is almost no time left to accomplish something | It’s a race against time to find a kidney donor for my cousin. |
| 45 | settle a score with someone | get even with a person after a previous battle | My brother wants to settle the score with that guy who stole my wallet. |
| 46 | shot in the dark | a guess | I was lucky to win the quiz. All my answers were shots in the dark. |
| 47 | skate on thin ice | do something risky, take a chance | You’re skating on thin ice by not sending in your college application before now. |
| 48 | start the ball rolling | begin something | Please can everyone be seated so we can start the ball rolling. |
| 49 | step up to the plate | do the honourable thing, take responsibility | It’s time you stepped up to the plate and apologized for your mistake. |
| 50 | take a rain check | accept at a later time | Sorry, I can’t go to the movies today, but I’d love to take a rain check. |
| 51 | take sides | choose a person or group to support | I hate to take sides, but I think Jerry is right about the paint colour. |
| 52 | take the bull by the horns | accept the challenge and try your hardest | Even though this new job will mean relocating, I think you should take the bull by the horns for once. |
| 53 | take the wind out of one’s sails | make someone feel deflated | I think I took the wind out of Angela’s sails when I told her she was a terrible singer. |
| 54 | throw in the towel | give up | If they don’t accept our offer this time we are going to throw in the towel and look at houses elsewhere. |
| 55 | time out | break | Let’s take some time out and grab a coffee. |
| 56 | three strikes and you’re out | you only get three chances | The school’s no smoking policy is three strikes and you’re out. |
| 57 | two strikes against | you only have one chance remaining | Nancy is going to be fired in no time. She already has two strikes against her for coming in late. |
| 58 | under the table | illegally | I don’t have a work visa, so they have to pay me under the table. |
| 59 | win hands down | easy victory | The other team was missing half of its players. We won hands down. |
