Hands up for those women who turn off the chatter when sports fans go into their lingo and jargon mode for the games they love to play and watch.

I can relate because I was one of those who left the room to read a good book until I discovered that the language of sports is unique, interesting and downright amusing.

This witty banter with odd phrases that often seem ‘out of place’ but somehow relate to the game are what I call sport gamerisms.

I am here to introduce you to some of the unique lingo, jargon phrases and definitions not just for your interest and amusement, but to take the next step of impressing sports fans at their own game, so to speak.

I would suggest that newbies learn the basic rules and terms of the sport beforehand, as it will create a much better impression.

For example with basketball, you will not want to use Charity Stripe that is jargon for the free throw line unless the player is indeed going to the free throw line.

Or in golf–Grasscutter that is lingo for a powerful shot coming in low, unless-well, you get my drift.

For the majority of women who already know the rules and basic terms of sport games, I congratulate you on your knowledge. However, I believe that you will find some hidden treasures in this list where you can say with a confident smile, “Yes, these sport gamerisms are impress worthy.”

After all, if we are to unite at the Sport gamerisms Womens Club, we must take the oath to ‘pay it forward’ and pass along the newly discovered lingo, jargon and unique phrases.

Here is my contribution for 9 sports that are popular and recognized worldwide. Afterwards, there are additional resources to explore the language of sports further for passionate players and fans.

Baseball
Baltimore Chop: ground ball hit in front of home plate in such a manner that it bounces high in the air allowing the runner to reach first base.
Whiff: the sound made by swung bat not making contact with anything.
Dinger: a home run. Congrats to the dingee or is it dingert?

Basketball
Alley Oop: the ball is high near the basket when the player grabs and scores in one smooth move.
Bang the Boards: moving in on that rebound very forcefully.
Charity Stripe: free throw line.

Football
Birdcage: full facemask, usually worn by linemen. A must-have piece of equipment.
Squib kick: short kick that remains close to the ground in which a return is not possible.
Pooch Kick: a short, high kick.

Volleyball
Dink: push of the ball around or over opposing blockers.
Fish or Tuna: player who is entangled in the volleyball net.
Heater: a hard deliberate spike. It’s a pounder!

Golf
Chili-dip or Fat Shot: a missed golf shot where the club head hits the ground before it strikes the golf ball. The result is a feeble, lofted shot.
Frog Hair: refers to the short grass at the edge of the green.
Grasscutter: jargon for a powerful shot coming in low.

Hockey
Dangler: an expert stick handler that moves through the defense with ease.
Howitzer: a very hard and fast slap shot. A Sizzler!
Biscuit: lingo for a hockey puck.

Soccer
Nutmeg: threading or moving the ball through the space between a player’s legs.
Golden Goal:goal that wins and completes the soccer game.
Banana Kick or Hook: kicked ball that curves and moves around obstructions. A beautiful sight to see!

Tennis
Golden Set: the win of a set without losing a single point. Congrats are in order!
Dink: shot hit with very little velocity.
Daisy Cutter: a low shot with backspin resulting in a low bounce.

Cricket
Dibbly Dobbly: a bowler of medium pace without variations.
Dolly: refers to a very easy catch for a fielder.
Zooter: ball with a very low bounce, almost running along the ground.

Additional resources: Each of the 9 sport games glossary is divided into 3 or 4 parts that includes an introduction and a learning games section for new players and fans at gamerisms.
These glossaries share the passion of the games using ‘gamerists speak’ equal to that of sports team members and their fans.

I must confess that I ‘impressed’ my competitive hubby to the point that I know more about the language of sports than him, but we will keep that our little secret, yes?

I plan to return with more gamerisms for sport, casino, skill and video game players or as I like to call them–gamerists.

Author Bio: Gayle Mitchell is the publisher and webmaster at gamerisms.com, the games glossary site for passionate sport, casino, skill and video game players. Sport games glossary Intro for 9 games to includes rules and definitions. Also, gamerisms sports and games blog to receive updates for the games we love to play.

Category: Sports
Keywords: gamerisms, games, games glossary, sports, baseball, basketball, football, hockey, golf, tennis, soc