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July 22, 2019
Sports/Games

“If you look good, you play good” (sports adage)

"If you look good, you play good" is a sports saying that has been printed on many images. "If you look good, you feel good and you play good" was printed in The Evening Sun…

April 29, 2019
Sports/Games

“If you lose, be patient. If you win, stay humble”

"If you lose, be patient. If you win, stay humble" is an inspirational saying that has been printed on many images. "If you win stay humble, if you lose, put your head down and…

December 12, 2011
Sports/Games

“If you miss the ball, don’t miss the leg” (soccer adage)

"If you missed the ball, don't miss the leg/man/bone" is a soccer adage popular in West African countries such as Ghana and Nigeria. The saying means that if you strike your leg out…

December 31, 2015
Sports/Games

“If you need two yards, he’ll get you two yards…” (running back joke)

It's sometimes said of a powerful, short-yardage runner in football that, "If you need two yards, he'll get you two yards. If you need seven yards, he'll get you two…

September 8, 2015
Sports/Games

“If you play great on Friday nights, then you can play on Saturdays” (football adage)

American football has for many years consisted of high school football on Friday nights, college football on Saturdays, and professional NFL football on Sundays. Craig Thomas wrote on NCAA.com in…

January 4, 2022
Sports/Games

“If you play Yahtzee on a boat, is it spelled Yachtzee?”

The dice game of Yahtzee has nothing to do with yachts, but there are jokes. "Yachtzee: What a child, or another person, may say when they see this type of boat" was posted on the…

March 25, 2012
Sports/Games

“If you see a good move, look for a better one” (chess adage)

"If you see a good move, look for a better one" is a chess adage meaning that one should study the position and not jump at the first good thought. The saying has also been used in…

August 3, 2013
Sports/Games

“If you see the play happen, you have missed the picture” (sports photography adage)

"If you see the play happen, you have missed the picture" (or "If you see the action, you missed it") is a sports photography adage. A sports photographer must know the sport…

June 24, 2013
Sports/Games

“If you shoot it, you eat it” (hunting adage)

"If you shoot it, you eat it" is not a hunting requirement, but it is a saying that some hunters use. "If you shoot it -- you gotta eat it" has been cited in print since at…

May 4, 2016
Sports/Games

“If you think golf is relaxing, you’re not playing it right”

British-American actor Bob Hope (1903-2003) loved golf; the Bob Hope Classic was named after him. Hope is frequently credited for having said: "If you think golf is relaxing, you're not…

March 4, 2014
Sports/Games

“If you think it’s hard to meet new people, try picking up the wrong golf ball”

"If you think it's hard to meet new people, try picking up the wrong golf ball" is a jocular saying that, since at least 1989, has been credited to actor Jack Lemmon (1925-2001).…

July 19, 2017
Sports/Games

“If you think practice is boring, try sitting on the bench”

"If you think practice is boring, try sitting on the bench" is a motivational sports saying that has been printed on many images. The message is that players who don't practice are…

August 7, 2013
Sports/Games

“If you think you’re going to hit into a double play, strike out”

"If you think you're going to hit into a double play, strike out" is a joke line that a baseball manager tells one of his players. "Earl Weaver always said, 'If you feel…

February 11, 2015
Sports/Games

“If you want snow, schedule a downhill race” (skiing adage)

Downhill skiing races are canceled if there are snowy conditions. A modern proverb is that if one wants snow, then one should schedule a downhill race. "If you want it to snow at your area,…

September 30, 2025
Sports/Games

“If you want to join our Scrabble club, I can put in a good word for you”

To "put in a good word" for someone means to recommend them. The expression has been used in a Scrabble joke. "I need some help joining this exclusive Scrabble club, if any of you…

April 29, 2019
Sports/Games

“If you win, be humble. If you lose, be gracious”

Entry in progress -- B.P. “If you lose, be patient. If you win, stay humble” is a similar saying. FacebookBASS ODYSSEYSeptember 4, 2013 · "If you win be humble. If you lose be gracious.…

July 12, 2015
Sports/Games

“If you’re even, he’s leavin’” (speed can’t be caught)

"If you're even, he's leavin'" is a football expression meaning that if a defensive back is "even" with the wide receiver, then that wide receiver (who is often…

June 4, 2022
Sports/Games

“If you’re going to fight, fight like you’re the third monkey on the ramp to Noah’s Ark”

"Fight like you're the third monkey on the ramp to Noah's Ark...and brother, it's startin' to rain" is a jocular saying that has been printed on many images. In the…

June 1, 2012
Sports/Games

“If you’re good enough, you’re old enough” (sports adage)

How old should one be to play professional sports? The saying is "if you're good enough, you're old enough." When Major League Soccer's D.C. United signed 14-year-old…

August 18, 2012
Sports/Games

“If you’re not cheating, you’re not trying” (sports adage)

Many athletes go to great lengths to get any edge they can against their competition; this often includes taking performance-enhacing drugs. "If you're not cheating, you're not…

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BARRY POPIK is a contributor to the Oxford English Dictionary, Dictionary of American Regional English, Historical Dictionary of American Slang, Yale Book of Quotations and Dictionary of Modern Proverbs. Since 1990 he has also been a regular contributor to Gerald Cohen's Comments on Etymology.

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