“Put the biscuit in the basket” (put the hockey puck in the net)
"Put the biscuit in the basket" is hockey slang that means to put the puck ("biscuit") in the net ("basket") -- to score a goal. "Put that old biscuit in the…
“Put them in a big bowl and beat for three hours” (college football joke)
College football has a bowl playoff system. “How do you make (insert football team name) cookies?” a classic joke goes. “Put them in a big bowl and beat for three hours” is the answer. The…
“Racetrack—A place where the windows clean the people”
Paul H. Gilbert's syndicated newspaper column of "Daffynitions" (humorous or "daffy" definitions) included the following in October 1947: "RACE TRACK: A place where…
“Real men don’t have Xboxes, they got toolboxes and tackleboxes”
"Real men don't have Xboxes, they got toolboxes and tackleboxes" is a saying that has been printed on many images. "Real men don't have Xboxes, they got toolboxes and…
“Rebounding translates (from college basketball to the pros)”
NBA scouts always look for basketball skills that "translate" from the college level to the pros. A college player might block shots against shorter players, but might struggle against…
“Records are made to be broken”
"Records are made to be broken" is a popular sports saying. Jonathan Swift (1667-1745) wrote in 1738, "Promises and Pye-crust are made to be broken." The "records"…
“Recruiting is a lot like shaving—miss one day and it shows” (college athletic recruiting)
University of Southern California head basketball coach Bob Boyd wrote in March 1970 that he had this sign in his office: "Recruiting is Like Shaving. If You Don't Do It Every Day,…
“Red equals green” or “Red means green” (professional wrestling adage)
"Red equals green" (or "red means green") is a professional wrestling adage meaning that blood ("red") attracts professional wrestling fans and makes money…
“Relievers are relievers for a reason” (baseball adage)
"Relievers are relievers for a reason" is a baseball adage. A pitcher with great command of several pitches is a starting pitcher. A reliever has some flaws, but can be strong in one or…
“Respect everybody but fear nobody” (sports adage)
A popular sports philosophy is to "respect everybody but fear nobody." "We'll respect everyone, but fear no one" was said by a football coach in 1949. "Respect…
“Right down Broadway” (straight and true, said of a baseball pitch)
"Right down Broadway" was a baseball expression of announcer Arch McDonald (1901-1960), meaning a strike pitch right down the middle of the plate. Broadway, from the foot of Manhattan to…
“Role players play better at home” (sports adage)
"Role players play better at home" is a sports adage of unknown origin. Role players are picked up by the cheering fans of the home crowd, and the players are familiar with the home…
“Rooting for the Yankees is like rooting for U.S. Steel” (1950)
The Yankees always win. U.S. Steel (or General Motors) - in the 1950s and not today, of course - represented big business. Who could root for that. Ben Zimmer pulled up the 1966 citation that…
“Rowing is oarsome”
"Rowing is oarsome" (oar + awesome) is a saying that has been printed on several gift items. "Oarsome twosome" was cited in 1971 newspapers and "oarsome foursome" was…
“Rowing is the only sport that originated as capital punishment”
“Rowing is the only sport that originated as a form of capital punishment" refers to the history of galley slaves. The popular rowing aphorism has been cited in print since at least 2002.…
“Rowing is the only sport you can win sitting on your butt going backwards”
"Rowing is the only sport you can win sitting on your butt going backwards" is a jocular saying about rowing; one can also "win by going backwards" in backstroke swimming and…
“Rubbing is racing” (auto racing adage)
"Rubbing is racing" is an auto racing saying that has been printed on many images. Authorship is uncertain. NASCAR Winston Cup director Dick Beaty (1924-1998) said in the Atlanta (GA)…
“Run at spaces, not faces” (tag rugby adage)
"Run at spaces, not faces" is a popular saying in tag rugby. The saying is for the offense; on defense, the defenders should run at faces (the players, especially the one with the ball).…
“Run through a brick wall (for a coach)” (player loyalty)
A coach receives total loyalty from his players if they would "run through a brick wall" for him -- that is, accept any command, no matter how difficult. "I'd run through a…
“Santa played a round of golf on Christmas day and hit a birdie. It was a partridge on a par three”
A Christmas joke of the song "The Twelve Days of Christmas" changes the line "partridge in a pear tree" to a golfing version of "a partridge on a par 3." "A…