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Showing posts with the label baseball vocabulary

Where does the word baseball come from?

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The earliest reference to baseball comes in a diary entry of a Surrey solicitor, William Bray.

What does inside baseball mean?

Inside baseball  is a term popular with political and media analysts.

What is a curveball?

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A deceptive or unexpected action which poses a new challenge e.g.   He threw a curveball by threatening to walk out of the meeting.   Comes from baseball and refers to a ball pitched to curve away from the hitter. There are many other examples of baseball terminology entering general English -  three strkes and your out, hit a home run, touch base.  Interestingly these are commonly used in British English while cricket expressions  sticky wicket, a good innings  are unfamiliar to most Americans.

What is 'showboating'?

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To act up/show off/attempt to attract attention by ostentatious behaviour. When Andy Murray plays a shot between his legs he could be seen as 'showboating'. Originally an American term it has crossed the Atlantic, particularly when discussing sport The term refers to the theatrical performances produced on the riverboats on the Mississippi and other American rivers in the late 19th century. But the verb 'to showboat' only dates back to 1951 - and perhaps also refers to the great theatrical performer, Al Jolson. Jolson's 'black facing' was beginning to become controversial at this time - and the term 'showboating' perhaps reflects cultural disapproval of ostentation.