Jints (Giants)
Ben Zimmer of the American Dialect Society added this "Jints" comment on the ADS listserv in November 2005. One for Barry (surprised it's not already on his site)...Someone on…
Jock Cosplay (fans wearing sports jerseys)
Many sports fans wear a jersey of their favorite player. This has been called "jock cosplay" or "sports cosplay." "RT @bellawonder: Football fans who wear jerseys: sports…
Jock Tax
A player for the New York Yankees who lives in New York CIty, for example, pays New York taxes. However, when the Yankees visit Chicago to play the White Sox, that player might be liable for…
Jockularity (jock + jocularity)
"Jockularity" (jock + jocularity) is humor involving sports jocks (athletes). "Or to create a new word, they did not accept their stereotyped role (the dumb athlete -- ed.) with…
Johnny-on-a-Pony (Johnny-Ride-a-Pony)
Entry in progress -- B.P. Wikipedia: Buck buckBuck Buck (also known as "Johnny on a Pony", "Matupaki or Chinchilagua") is a popular team game that has been played for many…
Kilties (American League baseball team, later called Yankees)
Entry in progress -- B.P. Wikipedia: New York YankeesThe New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major…
Kings (Brooklyn USBL basketball team)
The Brooklyn Nets have been the talk of the borough, but there already is a professional basketball team in Brooklyn. The Brooklyn Kings (United States Basketball League) began in 1999. The name is…
Kiss Cam (camera showing fans kissing)
A "kiss cam" at sporting events is a camera that captures two fans (almost always a male and a female couple), who then kiss for the camera. The kiss is usually shown over a large stadium…
Knickerbotchers (Knickerbockers or Knicks nickname)
"Knicker-botchers" appeared in 2006 for the same bad New York Knick basketball team that was also called "Team Turmoil" and "Team Titanic." The nickname…
Knicks (NBA basketball team)
The New York professional basketball team is called the Knickerbockers, or Knicks. "Knickerbocker" was formally adopted in the summer of 1946, but "Knicks" was quickly applied…
Knuckle Sandwich (punch in the mouth)
A "knuckle sandwich" is, literally, a sandwich of knuckles (such a pig knuckles). The slang meaning of "knuckle sandwich" is a punch to someone's face. Someone's…
Launching Pad (New Yankee Stadium nickname)
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…
Leaky Roof Circuit (small-time racetracks)
The "leaky roof circuit" (also called the "frying pan circuit") referred to the small-time racetracks in horceracing, but the term was also used in baseball and ice hockey. The…
Liberty (WNBA women’s basketball team)
The New York Liberty played its first season in the WNBA (Women's National Basketball Association) in 1997. The Statue of Liberty is on the team's logo, so the nickname's meaning is…
Liberty Cup (Columbia vs. Fordham)
The "Liberty Cup," created after September 11, 2001, is awarded to the winner of the Columbia University and Fordham University annual football game.…
Lollapalooza (Lallapalooza; Lollapaloosa; Lallapaloosa; Lolapalooza; Lalapalooza; Lolapaloosa)
Entry in progress -- B.P. Wikipedia: LollapaloozaLollapalooza is an annual music festival featuring alternative rock, hip hop, and punk rock bands, dance and comedy performances, and craft booths.…
Long Island Frankfurter (long, thin AFL football)
When the American Football League (AFL) played the National Football League (NFL) in the Super Bowl in the 1960s (before the two leagues merged in 1969), each league would use its own ball on…
Lou Gehrig’s Disease; “Luckiest Man” speech
Lou Gehrig was one of baseball's greatest players. His streak of playing in consecutive games was broken only recently by Cal Ripkin. Gehrig retired from the game because of ALS, but the…
Lovable Losers (New York Mets; Chicago Cubs)
The New York Mets became a baseball expansion team in the early 1960s and proceeded to lose many, many games. However, New York fans still attended games to cheer them on. "Lovable Losers --…
Madness Square Garden (Madison Square Garden nickname)
Madison Square Garden (an indoor sports arena in Midtown Manhattan, the home of basketball's New York Knicks and hockey's New York Rangers) is infrequently nicknamed "Madness Square…