SPORTS JARGON

Published by: Adebiyi Yetunde Abimbola

The world of sports terminology is a fascinating one. There are terms that are self-explanatory (double dribble, jump ball, three-point line, goal, kickoff), terms that have pretty obvious or intuitive origins (field goal, “taking a charge,” free throw, play action), and there are terms that are just plain weird.

Alley-Oop

The term “alley-oop” seems a bit random right? It turns out its origin is in the phrase “Allez hop!” from French, which was what a circus acrobat would yell before attempting a leap so that everyone else would clear out of the way. This is now the second good thing France has contributed to modern life, after Bordeaux wine of course. It was popularized in the 1950s in practices by players like Bill Russell and Wilt Chamberlain who would apparently judge a teammate’s shot trajectory to be missing the hoop, and instead, jump in the air, catch their errant shot, and slam it down. Teammates were pissed but it was worth it.

 Hat Trick

A hat trick is when a player accomplishes some sort of feat three times in an single sporting event. Examples include three goals in a soccer or hockey game, three bulls-eyes in a row in darts, or three wickets on three consecutive balls in cricket. The origin of this term is said to come from cricket in 1858. H.H. Stephenson, an English bowler, took the first recorded hat trick in cricket history, dismissing three batters in consecutive deliveries. The fans were so shocked by this display of brilliance that they organized a collection of donations to go to Stephenson after the match. The vessel that collected these donations? A hat that was passed around the crowd.

 Drop a Dime

In basketball, the phrase “drop a dime” refers to a beautiful assist. It’s origin derives from the olden days, where pay phones were the only way to call someone quickly when you were away from your home or office phone. In the era of mobster crime, police forces had to depend heavily on informants or undercover agents to report on impending criminal activity. This was especially helpful for coordinating sting operations, or catching the criminals red-handed. At the time, pay phone calls cost 10 cents, or a dime. So when an informant would “drop a dime” in the coin slot and pay for a covert phone call to clue the police in on some shady shit, the informant was giving a big assist to the cops. The connection is a bit loose, but this is indeed how the phrase “drop a dime” came to describe noteworthy assists in basketball.

 Nutmeg

In soccer, one of the most embarrassing things an offensive player can subject a defender to is the nutmeg (similar to posterizing someone or breaking their ankles with a crossover in basketball). It happens when the player with the ball uses his technical skills to slot the ball through the defender’s legs and run past him. It often ends with the defender in a figurative and/or literal puddle on the ground and it’s amazing to watch..