The most famous sporting expressions

Sport is a major part of the fabric of our society and culture, so it’s to no surprise that it has infiltrated its way into our everyday vernacular.

There are daily occurrences of sporting idioms being mixed into regular interactions, but do you know where they originate from?

Jumping the gun

Originally used in athletics, to jump the gun was to begin the race before the starter pistol had been fired, meaning there had been a false start, leading to possible disqualification.

The starting pistol was first used in Athens Greece for the 1896 Summer Olympics to accurately and reliably start a race.

In everyday usage it essentially means don’t be too keen or act hastily, as it could lead to negative consequences.

Infighting

A phrase originating from boxing, it now means conflict between people of the same organisation, who are meant to be on the same side, which is hidden from the outside gaze.

In boxing, close quarters fighting can be difficult for the referee to see and was first used in 1812 according to Oxford English Dictionary.

The first non-boxing use was dated to 1928 and is often used to describe politics or internal squabbling.

Saved by the bell

Another boxing idiom, signalling that a boxer has been knocked to the canvas but before the count to 10 has been completed, the bell has been rung for the end of the round.

Hence being saved by the bell, as the fighter has until the start of the next round to recover and is now commonly used to describe being saved from unpleasantness.

Various sources date this anywhere from mid-1900’s to 1932, but next time you have a lucky escape you know what to say.

Down to the wire

Emerging from horse racing, this expression is often used to signal when something is going to the very end or the last second.

Often in a tense scenario, it comes from when a length of wire was used at a racetrack to see which horse had won the race.

Its figurative use was first coined around 1900 and is a common phrase still used today.

A Hail Mary

In American Football, a Hail Mary pass is a last-ditch attempt that is unlikely to come to fruition, often a long punt into the end zone.

As if you were relying on a prayer, you’re hoping that it comes off and is used in desperate times to describe something last resort that likely won’t work.

The phrase was used in 1935 when Notre Dame beat Ohio State with a late 19-yard touchdown with their coach calling it a ‘Hail Mary play’.

But this was popularised in 1975 by Dallas Cowboys quarterback Roger Staubach after his game winning touchdown pass.

Home Stretch

A horse racing term, signalling the final part of the track where the race finishes, used to describe the final phase of a project or event.

It is used to show something that is very close to finishing, often in the form ‘in the home stretch’. Its earliest known use dates to the 1840’s.

Step up to the plate

This list wouldn’t be complete without a baseball idiom, with the sport providing us with numerous phrases and expressions.

This one refers to when a player must approach the home plate, to commence their turn at batting.

It is often shortened to ‘step up’ and refers to rising to an occasion in life and general usage for the phrase began around 1919.

Boxing provides us with a plethora of expressions potentially only topped by baseball in terms of numbers and could easily have a list of their own. It is particularly impressive considering the fact it is not a domestic sport, due to its origins in America. Does baseball provide the most phrases worldwide? Perchance.