- The following is a list of baseball phrases which have become idioms in American English. For phrases relating to the game of baseball, see baseball jargon
Paul Dickson says in his introduction to The New Dickson Baseball Dictionary, "The influence of baseball on American English at large is stunning and strong." No other sport has contributed so richly to American English as baseball.
Slang terms (as distinct from jargon) have evolved a usage and meaning independent of baseball and are often used by those with little knowledge of the game. Many of these terms are deeply entrenched in the American psyche.
The following are common American slang terms, each of which derived from baseball jargon or baseball slang:
B
- Ballpark figure, in the ballpark, and out of the ballpark -- A ballpark figure is an estimate. If the estimate is "in range", it is "in the ballpark"; if it is "out of range" it is "out of the ballpark." If the estimate is totally off, one can say, "not even in the right ballpark." Though the word ballpark can apply to a number of sports stadiums, it is implied that the park is a baseball park. Out of the ballpark can also mean to do well; see home run.
- Bean -- As a verb, to strike in the head. In baseball, a bean ball is a pitch intentionally thrown at a batter's head. The word bean as a noun is old-fashioned slang for head.
- Big league, as in "you're in the big leagues now" -- Important, major, the highest order. Major League Baseball, the highest level of professional baseball, is sometimes called the big league.
- Break, as in "them's the breaks" or "tough break" -- In baseball, the curved path of a curveball is called its break. A batter who is trying to hit a curveball has to be aware of its break, and the ball may appear to suddenly veer in another direction. In common usage, break means luck or fortune, or just the way things happen. If someone "gets a good break", it means they got lucky.
C
- Cover your bases, cover all the bases -- Ensure safety. In baseball, a player covers a base by standing close to it, ensuring a runner can not reach it safely. A G-rated way of saying "CYA".
- Curveball, as in "she really threw me a curveball" -- A surprise, often completely and totally unexpected. The curveball is a pitch in baseball designed to fool the batter by dropping unexpectedly. See also break.
D
- Drop the ball -- To fail in one's responsibilities. A reference to fielding, when catching a fly ball is expected to be easy, often resulting in changing of the game's momentum.
F
- Foot in the bucket -- To act timidly or cowardly. A batter who steps away from home plate with his leading foot (usu. in fear of being struck by a pitched ball) instead of a straight-ahead stride is said to "step in the bucket."
G
- Get to first base -— To succeed in the initial step of something, such as getting a job interview or asking someone out on a date. Among American youth, it refers to kissing someone on a date. Similiary, to get to second base and to get to third base vaguely refer to more sexual acts, though some people may have very specific definitions of what each term means. Finally, to reach home means to have sex.
- "Going, going, gone!" -- Dramatic description of anything departed. This phrase is used when a home run is hit, baseball announcers such as Mel Allen.
H
- Hardball, play hardball -- Tough, agressive. Refers to the comparison between balls in baseball and softball. Baseball is generally considered the more difficult game.
- Home run, as in hit a home run, hit it out of the park or knock it out of the park -- To succeed completely at something (opposite of strike out). In a sexual context, it means complete success at having sex, especially with someone desirable.
I
- "It ain't over 'till it's over!" -- A famous quotation from baseball player Yogi Berra; one of many yogiisms. In sports, it means that a game isn't over until time expires, the final out is registered, etc., and that the players need to stay mentally focused until the game is officially over. The term comes into play when a team has a large lead but then starts to let their guard down, especially when there is time left for the losing team to rally (and possibly win the game). The original and self-evident adage, misstated famously by Yogi, is "The game is not over until the last man is out." Another variant was Earl Weaver's "The opera's not over until the fat lady sings!"
- "It's deja vu all over again!" -- Another famous yogiism. It's a redundant way of saying "Here we go again!" It has come into general circulation in the language to describe any situation which seems to be observably repeating itself.
L
- Left field, as in "that insult really came out of left field" -- Unusual, unexpected, or irrational. Rumored to orginally describe fans who came to Yankee Stadium to see Babe Ruth (a right fielder) but who bought tickets for the wrong side of the field. Less commonly, someone "plays out in left field" if they do not contribute to a team.
- Lou Gehrig's disease -- Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), named after the famed New York Yankee whose affliction with the fatal disease brought it to national attention.
M
- "Nice guys finish last" -- A misquote of a statement made by Leo Durocher. Often taken to mean that people sometimes fail at something, even when someone is working hard, playing by the rules and success seems well-deserved.
O
- Off base -- Out of line, working on faulty assumptions. In baserunning, being off base is a mistake that could lead to the runner being put out.
- Out of left field -- See left field.
P
- Play ball -- To cooperate. Before every baseball game, the umpire shouts "play ball" in order to start the game.
R
- Rain check -- In the event of cancellation of any event, an invitation that may be renewed at a later date. Baseball games that are cancelled or interrupted due to rain are typically rescheduled. In that case, the ticket stub itself is the "rain check".
S
- "Say it ain't so!" -- An expression of disbelief. A reference to the Black Sox scandal of 1919, when the Chicago White Sox lost the World Series on purpose. When Shoeless Joe Jackson was implicated in the scandal, a young fan approached him and said, "Say it ain't so, Joe!"
- Screwball -- Eccentric, zany, or crazy. The screwball is a rarely used pitch (because of its effect on the arm) that is intended to behave erratically -- it "breaks" in the opposite direction a curveball would break. Its most famous users were New York Giants — Carl Hubbell and Christy Mathewson (who called it the "fadeaway" pitch).
- Southpaw -- A left-handed person. Traditional (though unprovable) explanation of origin: to avoid the sun shining into the eyes of a batter during the afternoon, every ballfield was built with center field aligned east or northeast of home plate. Thus, a right-handed pitcher's throwing hand would throw from the north side of the pitcher's mound, and a left-handed pitcher from the south; accordingly, a left-hander was called a "southpaw".
- Step up to the plate -- To rise to an occasion in life. Refers to when a player must approach home plate to take a turn at batting.
- Strike, as in "strike out", "three strikes, you're out", "a strike against you", "he was born with two strikes against him", etc. -- In baseball, a strike is when the batter fails to hit a good pitch. A batter with three strikes is out and stops batting. The word strike has crept into common English usage to mean a failure or shortcoming. When a person has "gotten three strikes" and "struck out", they have failed completely. See also A swing and a miss.
- Swings both ways or switch-hitter -- Slang for bisexual. Refers to players who are capable of hitting as a left-handed or right-handed batter.
- A swing and a miss -- An attempt and subsequent failure. One way to get a strike. See also strike.
T
- Touch base, as in "we'll touch base at the meeting" -- To ensure everyone has the same information. In baseball, a player who is touching a base is not in danger of being put out. May also be a military term.
W
- Whole new ball game / brand new ball game ; whole 'nother ball game -- In baseball, an announcer says "it's a whole new ball game" when the trailing team ties the score (usually after the trailing team has been behind by several runs), referring to the fact that both teams are right back to where they started at the beginning of the game. In common usage, a "whole new ball game" or "brand new ball game" signifies a drastic turn of events. A "whole 'nother ball game" signifies something completely unrelated, different, or irrelevant.
See also
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