Why do golfers yell “fore” when they tee off? The answer is twofold. Originally a military term, it’s when an artilleryman was about to fire a cannon he would yell “beware before” to warn the infantrymen in front of him to drop to the ground rather than be hit by his cannon fire. Beware before meant look out in front of the gun. Eventually they just yelled “fore” to warn everyone to look out. In the 19th century golfers took to yelling “fore” to warn caddies and other spectators to look, because the ball was coming off the tee.
Why do we say that a person’s strongest ability or finest quality is his “forte?” This is a fencing term. The forte is the strongest part of a sword blade.
Hands down. Sue is “hands down” the best baker. Her pies are the best. The term “hands down” is a horse racing term. After a race is over the winning jockey may let his hands down and relax his hold on the horse’s reins. Any person or situation that is the best is “hands down.”
“Way out of left field” is a phrase used to describe an unexpected situation or offbeat remark. From 1893 to 1915 the Chicago Cubs played at West Side Park. Behind the left field fence were the grounds of the Cook County Mental Hospital. Patients of the hospital were known to cross the fence and wander on to the playing field muttering to themselves and having no idea where they were or what was going on. The fence was eventually strengthened and security tightened but the term coming out off left field to describe an unusual or unexpected situation has stayed with us.
Throwing your “Hat in into the Ring.” We use this term to describe a politician’s announcement that he or she is campaigning for an election to a certain office, but it is actually a boxing term. Back in the rough and tumble days of bare knuckle boxing, fights were often announced by a fighter standing in a makeshift ring and waiting for someone to throw their hat into the ring to indicated that they were ready to be his opponent. It took on political connotations in the twentieth century.
“Getting the ball rolling“ is a bowling term to indicate getting a match started. You can’t start a project started unless you get the ball rolling.
Sports jargon has found it’s way into all facets of verbal and written communication. It’s human nature to customize our language with attention getting terms. I have given you just a few. What are some sports terms you employ to accentuate what you say and colorize your vocabulary?
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