Glossary of English-language idioms derived from baseball
This is an alphabetical list of common English-language idioms based on baseball, excluding the extended metaphor referring to sex, and including illustrative examples for each entry. Particularly American English has been enriched by expressions derived from the game of baseball.
See also the Glossary of baseball terms for the jargon of the game itself, as used by participants, fans, reporters, announcers, and analysts of the game.
B
ballpark
Ballpark, in the ballpark, ballpark figure, and out of the ballpark — "Ballpark" has been used to mean a broad area of approximation or similarity, or a range within which comparison is possible; this usage the Oxford English Dictionary dates to 1960. Another meaning, "sphere of activity or influence", is cited in 1963. "In the ballpark", meaning "within reasonable bounds" dates to 1968. A "ballpark figure" or "ballpark estimate", one that is reasonably accurate, dates to at least 1957. The meaning of "out of the ball park" is to hit a home run; its non-baseball equivalent is to do something well or exactly as it should be done."'They said Itanium would never be their fastest 32-bit processor, but it would be in the ballpark. The original x86 hardware execution mechanism was not in the ballpark. It was barely in the parking lot around the ballpark,' Brookwood said.' – Nathan Brookwood, quoted by Stephen Shankland, CNET, 23 April 2003.
"Patrick Wiles, a vice president of First Pioneer Farm Credit in Riverhead, said the 'ballpark figure' for prime vineyard land on the North Fork is $50,000 to $60,000 an acre, 'assuming the development rights have been sold.'" – Howard G. Goldberg, The New York Times, 18 July 2004.
MSNBC said Hillary knocked it "out of the park". – Randy Stelly and Carol Forsloff, New America Media, 27 August 2008.
batting 1000
Also batting a thousand. Getting everything in a series of items right. In baseball, someone with a batting average of one thousand has had a hit for every at bat in the relevant time period. AHDI dates its non-baseball usage to the 1920s. May also be used sarcastically when someone is getting everything wrong."'But Boston Scientific also needs to hope that a rare event does not become magnified,' he said. 'It has to be pretty much batting a thousand for a time,' he said". — Reed Abelson, The New York Times, 27 July 2004.
beanball, or throw a beanball
To attack an opponent by aiming at their head. In baseball, a beanball is a pitch intentionally thrown at a batter's head. In politics, it can be a verbal assault or a policy that is targeted to seriously hurt a particular opponent or group.headline: "Senator Jim Bunning Throws Beanball at America's Unemployed" – Mason Lerner, The Faster Times, 26 February 2010.
"But Brown and Whitman didn't swing at the questions, instead choosing to stick to a game of political beanball — trading jabs on Whitman's housekeeper, a Brown aide's "whore" remark and even verbal miscues. – Steven Luo, California Beat, 13 October 2010.
big hitter(s)
At the highest level; used as a noun.big league(s)
At the highest level; used as a noun or an adjective. OED cites "big league" as specifically American Major League Baseball, and cites its first use in 1899; the non-baseball use appears in 1947. Synonym: major league. Contrast bush league, below."For a listener who last heard the New Haven Symphony in the mid-60's, in a game but scrappy performance of Britten's War Requiem, its concert on Friday evening was a happy surprise. Under its music director, Michael Palmer, it sounded for the most part like a big-league band, at home in a big-league setting". — James Oestreich, The New York Times, 25 January 1994.
brand new ballgame
In baseball, when a team that has been behind in runs ties up the game, it is sometimes said to be a brand new ballgame. This does not mean that the game starts over from the first inning; it only means that neither team is ahead, and the game continues. In other realms, the term is used to connote a change in tactics or who is ahead in a competition."It's a Brand New Ballgame for Outsourcing Real Estate" — John C. Maher, National Real Estate Investor, 1 July 2005.
"Brand new ball game: New peanut program brings change" — Paul L. Hollis, Southwest Farm Press, 21 March 2002.
brush back
To subvert or threaten verbally. In baseball, a brushback pitch is any pitch intended to establish a pitcher's command of the inside portion of the strike zone, usually involving throwing a pitch at or near a hitter who may be covering that portion of the strike zone. Its baseball usage is cited in many dictionaries, but its transition to the vernacular has yet to be dated."The Washington Times' George Archibald reports that Gerald A. Reynolds, assistant secretary for civil rights in the Department of Education, has sent a long overdue brush-back letter to college and university officials concerning their odious and oppressive campus speech codes". — David Limbaugh,The Washington Times, August 19, 2003.
"One spokeswoman, Andrea Saul, has been throwing brushback pitches at reporters who write about Romney's faith, asking if they would write similar stories about Jews". – Jeffrey Goldberg, Bloomberg News, June 18, 2012.
bush league
Amateur, unsophisticated, unprofessional. From the baseball term "bush league" for a second-rate baseball league and therefore its players. OED cites its first baseball use as 1906, non-baseball in 1914. Contrast big league, above."Kinsley, who does come off as the stereotypical Los Angeles-hating East Coast wonk, said recently that because L.A. is the second biggest city in the country, 'it's really bush league to care about where the writers are from.'"— Catherine Seipp, National Review, March 24, 2005.
C
Charley horse
Sudden stiffness or a cramp in the leg. The etymology of "charley horse" is unknown; CDS cites its first use c. 1887 as baseball slang; OED states such cramps occur "especially in baseball players" and cites this usage to 1888."Tried on more than 1,400 patients for almost two years, it has proved effective for many kinds of pain in the muscles and around joints — charley horse, tennis elbow, stiff neck, torticollis, whiplash injury, muscular rheumatism, and muscle pain resulting from slipped disks". — Time, 8 June 1959
cleanup hitter
Someone who comes in to solve a problem or lead a team. In baseball a cleanup hitter is the fourth man in the batting order, typically a slugger who is expected to clear the bases by driving other runners home to score runs. The OED first attributes "cleanup hitter" or "cleanup man" in its modern baseball usage to 1922.Under the headline "Merrill's cleanup hitter: new position focuses on quality of research," it is stated that "at Merrill Lynch & Co. Inc., the "buy," "sell" and "hold" buck stops with William J. Genco".
Under the headline "Trimeris Gets a Cleanup Hitter," it is stated that "Yesterday, tiny drug developer Trimeris announced that it finally found a permanent CEO to help get itself in order following the resignation of its former leader a year ago.
Referring to President George W. Bush: "There is a reason he is the current president and it is not just because of his Daddy or money — I think he makes a pretty solid cleanup hitter for the Republican Party and brought home the points made during the previous 4 days of the convention".
closer
In baseball, a "closing pitcher" or "closer" is brought in to finish the game. In business, the person brought in to close the deal, get things done.cover one's bases
Also cover all the bases. To ensure safety; to take all relevant details, problems, or exigencies into account, even unlikely ones. In baseball, a defensive player covers a base by standing close to it, ensuring a runner cannot reach it safely. In business, covering one's bases means being prepared for every contingency. Mentioned but not dated by Oxford University Press."Arson investigators sifted through the rubble of an Airdrie Stud barn today, but failed to determine the cause of a fire that killed 15 thoroughbred broodmares and yearlings Saturday night. The horses were worth more than $1 million, according to Brereton Jones, owner of the stud farm. 'We do not have any reason to believe it was arson, but you just want to be sure you cover all the bases,' he said". — Associated Press, in The New York Times, 7 January 1985.
"Cisco's FastHub 400 series has the bases covered".
curveball, curve
As in "He really threw me a curveball". A surprise, often completely and totally unexpected, and usually unpleasant. The curveball is a pitch in baseball designed to fool the batter by curving unexpectedly. AHDI dates this usage to the mid-20th century."Because of my personal story, I'm very interested in illness. One thing we discovered as a family is that when you're thrown a curveball like cancer or multiple sclerosis, often people do not know what to do first". – Meredith Vieira, quoted by Jeff Chu, Time, 27 August 2006.
"Desormeaux chalked up the latest loss, his second so close to the Triple Crown, to another twist in a life so full of them. 'Life throws curves,' he said, 'Some of us hit it, and some of us will sulk around. We've continued to hit the curveball'". – The New York Times, 8 June 2008.