“There’s boxing and then there’s heavyweight boxing” (boxing adage)
"There's boxing and then there's heavyweight boxing" is a boxing adage meaning that boxing purists will watch boxing at any level, but that the general public is only interested…
Archive for 11/2011
“Skate to where the puck is going to be, not where it’s been” (hockey adage)
"Skate to where the puck's going to be, not to where it has been" is advice that Walter Gretzky said (in January 1982) that he gave to his son, hockey great Wayne Gretzky. In 1983,…
“Forecheck, backcheck, paycheck” (three most important elements of pro hockey)
In December 1982, Buffalo Sabres center Gil Perreault named the three most important aspects of pro hockey: "Forecheck, backcheck, paycheck." Perreault's remark became a classical…
“Football is a gentleman’s game played by ruffians; rugby is a ruffian’s game played by gentlemen”
"Football/Soccer is a gentleman's game played by ruffians/hooligans; rugby is a ruffian's/hooligan's game played by gentlemen" is a sports saying, cited in print since at…
“Give blood—play hockey” (“Give blood—play rugby”)
Both rugby and hockey are violent games. The saying "Give Blood -- Play Rugby" was put on bumper stickers in 1975. The saying "Give Blood -- Play Hockey" has been on bumper…
“I went to a fight and a hockey game broke out”
Fighting has long been a part of ice hockey. Comedian Rodney Dangerfield (1921-2004) -- who founded Dangerfield's comedy club in Manhattan -- made a popular joke about it in July 1978: "I…
Seedelicious or Seedalicious or Seedilicious (seed + delicious)
"Seedelicious" or "seedalicious" or "seedilicious" (seed + delicious) is a multiseed product sold by HEB supermarkets and others. The name "seedilicious" has…
Seeduction (seed + seduction)
"Seeduction" (seed + seduction) is a multiseed bread sold by Whole Foods. The name "seeduction" is trademarked with a first use date given as December 31, 2000. A similar,…
Tom Turkey
A "tom turkey" (occasionally given as "thomas turkey") is a male turkey. "Tom" has been used for the male of a species since the anonymous work The Life and Adventures…
Name That Party
"Name that party" is a conservative argument to identify liberal bias in the mainstream media. Whenever there's a Republican scandal, the "Republican" political…
“Keep your head on a swivel” (football adage)
"Keep your head on a swivel" means to look around and to be aware. The saying was popular with air force pilots in World War II and has been cited in print since at least 1943. In sports,…
“The team that won’t be beaten can’t be beaten”
Entry in progress -- B.P. Wikipedia: Mike Murphy (trainer and coach)Michael Charles "Mike" Murphy (February 26, 1860 – June 4, 1913) was an athletic trainer and coach at Yale University…
“It rains on both sides of the field” (football adage)
"It rains on both sides of the field" (or, "it rains on both sides of the line of scrimmage") is an old football adage that's been applied to many other disciplines. The…
JetFU (JetBlue nickname)
JetBlue is a low-cost airline headquartered in Forest Hills, Queens, with a main base at John F. Kennedy International Airport (also in Queens). On an August 8, 2010 flight from Pittsburgh to New…
“Three yards and a cloud of dust” (football saying)
A run-oriented football offense has been described as "three/four/five yards and a cloud of dust." The term is usually credited to The Ohio State University football team that was coached…
“Stay on the ice and pay the price” (hockey adage)
"Stay on the ice and pay the price" is an ice hockey adage. Hockey is a tiring game; players who stay on the ice and refuse to be substituted for ultimately "pay the price."…
Old College Try
The term "old college try" was popularized in baseball, as a fielder gamely makes a try to go after the ball. "Old college try" usually describes a futile effort, with the…
“Man is the only animal that can he skinned more than once”
"Man is the only animal that can he skinned more than once" is a joke that dates to at least 1920. The joke centers on the slang sense of "being skinned" (being financially…
“You can’t steal first base” (baseball adage)
"You can't steal first base" is an old baseball saying, meaning that team speed is fine to have, but good hitting is also needed. The saying has been used since at least 1910, when a…
“The team in first on July 4th will win the pennant” (baseball adage)
"The team in first place on July 4th will win the pennant" is a baseball adage that dates to at least 1921. The baseball season is about half over by the July 4th holiday. The adage…