“All pro athletes are bilingual; they speak English and profanity”
Professional ice hockey player Gordie Howe (1928-2016) said in 1967 that teammate Ted Lindsay was a "great bi-linguist -- he's always been well versed in English and profanity." In…
“All you need is a chip and a chair” (poker adage)
"All you need is a chip and a chair" is a popular poker adage. "'Gimmee a chip and a chair and a pair,' meaning he would like to sit into a game" was cited in the Las…
“Allagaroo!” (CCNY cheer)
City College of New York won both the NIT and NCAA basketball championships in 1950. The school's famous battle cry was " Allagaroo-garoo-gara!" The origins of the…
“Always check, it may be mate” (chess adage)
"Finally, check whenever you can. It may be mate" is a chess adage that dates to at least 1889, when Hector Rosenfeld (1857-1935), a member of the Manhattan Chess Club and a professional…
“American chess players be like, ‘That’s a checkbro’”
"Checkmate" is a chess term meaning that a king is threatened and cannot move away, so the game is over. Some people have suggested changing "mate" (a term popular in Australia)…
“An athlete dies twice” (sports proverb)
"An athlete dies twice" is a popular sports adage; the first "death" is the end of a playing career. The saying has been credited to Roger Kahn, who wrote in The Boys of Summer…
“An engineer, a doctor and a priest are playing golf” (joke)
"An engineer, a doctor and a priest are playing golf" is the opening line to a popular joke that has been cited in print since at least 1996. The doctor and the priest offer sympathy and…
“And nobody got hurt!”
"And nobody got hurt!" was the catchphrase of New York City television sports new anchor Len Berman. Berman had a segment on WNBC called "Spanning the World," featuring…
“Any golf course plays hard when the wind blows” (golf adage)
"But again, the old saying, any golf course plays hard when the wind blows," said golfer Fred Couples at the 2013 Masters Tournament. It's not clear how old the saying is.…
“Any team can have a bad century” (“Anyone can have a bad century”)
"Anyone can have a bad game" is a sports saying of unknown origin. "Any team can have a bad century" ("Anyone can have a bad cenury") is a sports saying that has been…
“Anybody can manage the Yankees”
Baseball's New York Yankees have been so successful that it's been said that "Anybody/Anyone can/could manage the Yankees." The saying has been in print since at least 1933 and…
“Anything can happen in Brooklyn”
"Anything can happen it Brooklyn," "Everything happens in Brooklyn" and "It could only happen in Brooklyn" are Brooklyn slogans inspired by the Brooklyn Dodgers…
“Apple comes up” or “Feel the apple” or “Take the apple” (to choke; from Adam’s apple)
It is sometimes claimed that in the sports and entertainment worlds, when someone would play in New York City (the big time), the performer's Adam's apple would tighten, and, from this,…
“Archers study arrow dynamics”
"Aerodynamics" shouldn't be confused with "arrow dynamics," but there are jokes. "Archers understand arrow dynamics" is a jocular saying that has been printed on…
“Archers understand arrow dynamics”
"Aerodynamics" shouldn't be confused with "arrow dynamics," but there are jokes. "Archers understand arrow dynamics" is a jocular saying that has been printed on…
“Are we still allowed to play pool….since we use a white ball to hit the colored balls”
"Are we still allowed to play pool....since we use a white ball to hit the colored balls" is a meme on political correctness that has been printed on many images. "Has anybody found…
“Are you a pole vaulter?”/“No. I am German but how did you know my name was Walter?”
A classic Summer Olympics joke has someone (such as a reporter) ask a participant in track and field: REPORTER: Are you a pole vaulter?ATHLETE: No, I'm German, but how did you know that my…
“Arguing on the internet is like running in the Special Olympics…”
The Special Olympics is a sports organization for children and adults with intellectual disabilities. A politically incorrect meme uses "Special Olympics" to define a meaningless victory.…
“As cool as the other side of the pillow”
A player who is "as cool as the other side of a pillow" is someone who is calm under pressure. Stuart Scott (1965-2015), an anchor on ESPN's SportsCenter, popularized the catchphrase…
“Ask a basketball player for change of $1, get 75 cents back because no fourth quarter”
A regulation basketball game consists of four quarters. (Overtime is held if the score remains tied.) The fourth quarter is usually decisive, but some basketball stars are criticized for not…