Football idioms

[MrPedantic]

That reminds me: the ball "sits up" for a player when it bounces up in a way that makes a volley easier.

MrP

[Tdol]

Is 'play a blinder' from football?

[markohnm]

What does play a blinder mean actually

[MrPedantic]

"To play a blinder" = "to perform dazzlingly well".

All the best,

MrP

[Damn 69]

Hey guys, I would really need some help for my thesis. I'm writing about sports idioms and would like to find some more idioms connected to football (European football, soccer in USA - not American football!).

So if you do remember any please tell me about them. You can also write some connected to basketball if you know any, but football is priority.

Thanks

Hey markohnm,

there are a lot of cliches and football phrases at languagecaster.com which is all about learning English through football.

Not 110% sure if these football-related phrases have made the crossover you were looking for but maybe some of these might help:

• To play out of your skin
• Take the game by the scruff of the neck
• Bogey team
• Squeaky-bum time
• The business end of the season
• Avoid the drop
• To grind out a result
• It's all to play for
• It only takes a second (to score a goal)
• To lose the dressing room

As well as some that don't appear to have any football connection yet are closely associated with the game (clichés)

• At the end of the day
• Sick as a parrot
• Over the moon
• Early doors

These are just some of the words and phrases from the Football glossary at languagecaster.com

Good luck with the paper

Damian

[MrPedantic]

Welcome to UE, Damn! (Which has a strangely Cloughian ring to it.)

I believe "early doors" originated with Ron Atkinson, so has a football connection of sorts...

MrP

[Damn 69]

Thanks Mr P

yes, early doors is a Ron Atkinson expression ('Ronglish' as his phrases became known as) meaning of course the early part of the game, e.g. 'England have yet to be troubled by the Spanish attack early doors...'

One of the previous posts mentioned the stepover (Ronaldo's second favourite 'trick' - the first being falling down) which Ron used to call a lollipop.