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.

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:

Fifty Animal Idioms and What They Mean
Fifty Atmosphere and Weather Idioms and What They Mean – Part One and Part Two (We do like talking about weather here in England!)
“You are the Apple of my Eye”
Three Everyday Idioms and their Terrifying Origins
Two Idioms That Originate in America

Have a good week!

01 Jul 2014
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Thirty Sports Idioms to Help You Through the Summer

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