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July 18, 2024
Restaurants/Bars/Coffeehouses/Food StoresSports/Games

“It’s called the Summer Olympics so one of the events should be running in flip flops to catch the ice cream man”

"Just sprinted 3 blocks in flip flops to catch the ice cream man....the things we do for our kids!!!!" was posted on X/Twitter by Gratefuldes on May 14, 2010. "I legit just ran out…

July 21, 2010
Sports/Games

“It’s great to be young and a Yankee”

New York Giants second baseman "Laughing" Larry Doyle (1886-1974) is credited with originating the saying "It's great to be young and a (New York) Giant." Some baseball…

September 4, 2012
Sports/Games

“It’s hard to beat a team three times in one season” (sports adage)

"It's hard to beat a team three times in one season" is a sports adage that appears to have started in basketball, but is used in some other sports as well. Scholastic teams often…

April 9, 2019
Sports/Games

“It’s harder to defend a title than it is to win it”

It's often said in sports that it's harder to defend a title than it is to win it. The origin of this saying is unknown. "This may be due partly to the fact that it is frequently…

January 17, 2012
Sports/Games

“It’s immoral to let a sucker keep his money” (poker adage)

"It's immoral to let a sucker keep his money" (or, "It's morally wrong to let a sucker keep his money") has been attributed to "Canada Bill" Jones (?-1880)…

June 3, 2016
Sports/Games

“It’s just a job. I beat people up” (boxing)

American boxer Muhammad Ali (1942-2016), nearing the end of his career, told the New York (NY) Times on April 6, 1977: "It's just a job. Grass grows, birds fly, waves pound the sand. I…

October 30, 2015
Sports/Games

“It’s never good when a safety is your team’s leading tackler” (football adage)

The safety position in football is part of the last line of defense. It's usually a bad sign when a safety leads the stat line with the most tackles on a team -- which means that the defensive…

September 29, 2019
Sports/Games

“It’s not fall without football” (autumn saying)

"It's not fall without football" is a fall saying that has been printed on many images. "I feel like it's not fall without football" was printed in The Advocate…

December 4, 2015
Sports/Games

“It’s not how big you are, it’s how big you play”

"It's not how big you are, it's how big you play" is a sports adage that has been used in several sports. The saying has been cited in print since at least 1967, when it was…

March 31, 2013
Sports/Games

“It’s not how you drive; it’s how you arrive” (golf adage)

"It's not how you drive, but/it's how you arrive" is a popular golf adage that means a good drive is only part of the game -- the short game is also important. "It's…

October 1, 2015
Sports/Games

“It’s not over until you shake hands” (hockey, tennis adage)

Tennis players often shake hands at the end of a match. Hockey players in the Stanley Cup playoffs shake hands at the end of a series. "It's not over until you shake hands" is an…

October 16, 2011
Sports/Games

“It’s not the X’s and O’s, it’s the Jimmys and Joes”

"It's not the X's and O's, it's the Jimmys and Joes" means that it's not necessarily the plays ("X's and O's") that a coach runs that win…

October 7, 2012
Sports/Games

“It’s not whether you win or lose, but who gets the blame”

Grantland Rice (1880-1954) wrote, "For when the One Great Scorer comes to write against your name; He marks -- not that you won or lost -- but how you played the Game." "It's…

September 26, 2017
Sports/Games

“It’s only a gambling addiction if you keep losing. Otherwise, it’s a high paying career”

What defines a gambling addiction? "'It's not a gambling addiction if you're winning'-Devon McGurk" was posted on Twitter on April 6, 2010. "Is it still a…

July 19, 2017
Sports/Games

“It’s only the ball that’s soft” (softball saying)

Softball may have a softer ball than baseball, but it's played hard. "It's only the ball that's soft" is a softball saying that has been cited in print since at least 2012.…

January 6, 2015
Sports/Games

“It’s the Hall of Fame, not the Hall of Very Good”

"It's the Hall of Fame, not the Hall of Very Good" means that someone who is just "very good" isn't special enough to be voted into a sports hall of fame. "Nine…

April 8, 2013
Sports/Games

“It’s the punch you don’t see coming that knocks you out” (boxing adage)

"It's the punch you don't see coming that knocks you out" (or, "the punch you don't see is the punch that hurts the most") is an old boxing adage. "The punch…

August 3, 2022
Sports/Games

“It’s time for Dodger baseball!” (Vin Scully catchphrase)

New York City-born sportscaster Vin Scully (1927-2022) broadcast Brooklyn Dodgers games in 1950 and continued with the Dodgers for 67 years, ending with a Los Angeles Dodgers broadcast in 2016.…

October 28, 2015
Sports/Games

“It’s unlucky to be behind at the end of a game”

"It's unlucky to be behind at the end of a game" is a classic sports remark that's both obvious and funny. Michigan State University football coach Duffy Daugherty (1915-1987)…

July 10, 2018
Sports/Games

“It’s not the will to win that matters—everyone has that. It’s the will to prepare to win”

Entry in progress -- B.P. YourTango20 Positive, Inspiring Quotes For When You Feel Like 'Life Sucks'Aria GmitterJanuary 26, 2018(...)2. Preparation is key to living your best…

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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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