Armchair Quarterback (Armchair Quarterbacking)
An "armchair quarterback" is someone who follows a football game from the comforts of home. An armchair quarterback can question the decisions of the game's actual quarterback, away…
Attaboy
Entry in progress -- B.P. (Oxford English Dictionary)attaboy, int.Etymology: Said to represent careless pronunciation of that's the boy! (boy n.1 3b).slang (chiefly U.S.).An exclamation…
Auld Mug (America’s Cup trophy nickname)
Thomas Lipton (1849-193), a Scotsman famed for his grocery stores and Lipton teas, wanted badly to win the America's Cup for England. He had yachts called Shamrock through Shamrock V, but he…
Baby Ruth (candy bar)
There has been some dispute about the naming of the Baby Ruth candy bar, introduced in 1921. The candy company has claimed that it was named after Grover Cleveland's daughter, Ruth, who died…
Back Door Sweep
A seven-game series "sweep" is when a sports team wins four straight games, losing none. A five-game series "sweep" is when a team wins three straight games, losing none.…
Backdoor Sweep
A seven-game series "sweep" is when a sports team wins four straight games, losing none. A five-game series "sweep" is when a team wins three straight games, losing none.…
Ball Orchard (Big Ball Orchard in the South Bronx = Yankee Stadium)
Hugh S. Fullerton (1873-1945) began calling baseball parks "ball orchards" in the Chicago (IL) Tribune in 1905. Yankee Stadium (located in the Bronx) first opened in 1923. By the 1930s,…
Ballers’ Paradise (Barclays Center nickname)
The New Jersey Nets planned to move to the Barclays Center in Brooklyn for the 2012-13 season, when the team would become the Brooklyn Nets. Nets point guard Deron Williams was shown the under…
Ballpark Estimate (Ball Park Estimate; Ball Park Figure)
A "ball park (ballpark) figure" -- also called a "ball park (ballpark) estimate" -- is a rough guess, usually at the cost of something. The dimensions of a ballpark are known.…
Ballpark Figure (Ball Park Figure; Ball Park Estimate)
A "ball park (ballpark) figure" -- also called a "ball park (ballpark) estimate" -- is a rough guess, usually at the cost of something. The dimensions of a ballpark are known.…
Baltimore chop (baseball term)
The "Baltimore chop" in baseball (popularized by the Baltimore Orioles team in the 1890s) is when a batter attempts to hit the top of the baseball to drive it hard into the ground, so…
Banana Ball (golf)
A "banana ball" in golf is a ball that is sliced into a curved path (like the shape of a banana). "Banana ball" has been cited in print since at least 1947. "Banana…
Bandbox (Bronx Bandbox=New Yankee Stadium)
The new Yankee Stadium (opened in 2009) quickly gained a reputation for being home-run-friendly. The Colorado Rockies' Coors Field has allowed the most home runs in a single season, and the…
Barclays Center Classic (Brooklyn Hoops)
The Barclays Center is a sports arena in Brooklyn. In November 2011, Barclays announced that it would open its arena on November 9, 2012 with the college basketball "Barclays Center…
Baseball cards (Queens)=Tickets (Brooklyn)
Baseball cards are popular all over the country. But why is (or was) the game called "tickets" in Brooklyn? The following citation is the only one I have on this. 8 July 1977, New York…
Baseball’s Cathedral (Yankee Stadium)
Yankee Stadium (both the one opened in 1923 and the one opened in 2009) has been called the "Cathedral of Baseball or "Baseball's Cathedral." "Yankee Stadium is the…
Baseball’s Home Office (Yankee Stadium)
Yankee Stadium (both the one opened in 1923 and the one opened in 2009) has called the "Home Office of Baseball" or "Baseball's Home Office." "John Smoltz said Yankee…
Basketball (Basket Ball)
The game of basketball (first spelled "basket ball") became popular in 1892. The first college basketball game was played at Cornell University in February 1892. Supposed basketball…
Basketball Mecca (Madison Square Garden nickname)
Madison Square Garden is often called the "mecca," a puzzling term to many today. However, the term "mecca" was first applied to the second Madison Square Garden (at Madison…
Basketball on Grass (football spread offense)
A pass-happy pro football team with a spread offense is sometimes called "basketball on grass." The term has been cited in print since at least 1950, when it was observed in the Boston…