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The world of sports is filled with plenty of opportunities for laughter. Players and coaches are sometimes prone to bizarre behavior whenever a microphone is placed in front of them, and even professional athletes can commit epic fails in the middle of an intense competition.
Come to think of it, though, you don’t even need sports personalities to get a daily chuckle. The language used in rules and terminology can be unintentionally humorous, and I’ve collected nine such examples in the post below.
1. Squeeze Play
To those with a dirty mind, this baseball term might sound a little inappropriate. In reality, though, it refers to a player committing a sacrifice bunt to bring home a runner from third base.
2. Penetration and Kick
While this is certainly another term that sounds like it shouldn’t be used in public, it’s probably not what you’re thinking. The actual term is used in basketball to indicate an offensive play where the defense is drawn in and made susceptible to a kick-out pass.
3. Flea Flicker
This football term is my personal favorite, just because it sounds so ridiculous. It’s surprisingly effective in the right situation, however, as the quarterback hands the ball to the halfback only to have it tossed back to him for a passing opportunity. Created in 1910 by Bob Zuppke, the name was meant to indicate the rapid flicking motion that a dog uses to dislodge fleas.
4. Five Hole
In hockey, the first four “holes” are considered the four corners of the goal. The fifth hole, meanwhile, is the space between the goalie’s legs.
5. Backdoor Slider
Performing a “backdoor slider” refers to a pitch that begins outside the strike zone before curving back over the plate at the last possible second. While this is great for the pitcher, these tricky throws are difficult to predict and can lead to an easy out.
6. Nutmeg
In 1870’s Victorian England, the slang term “nutmeg” came to mean being deceived or tricked in a way that made the person look foolish. It’s since been adopted by soccer to mean any time that a player kicks the ball between an opponent’s legs (making him or her look ridiculous by default).
7. Launching a Trifecta
A trifecta normally indicates a sports wager in which the top three finishers are predicted in exact order, but this term has nothing to do with launching such a bet into outer space. Rather, it’s a basketball term that means to attempt a three-point shot.
8. Stuff it in the Hole
Here’s another nugget of filth from your pals in the sports world. I don’t think you need me to tell you what this term sounds like, but it’s most commonly used in basketball to describe a player who’s crammed the ball into the basket.
9. Swing the Lumber
This one might sound odd, but it’s pretty self-explanatory. That’s because it’s simply a baseball term meaning to swing at the ball with a wooden bat. Swing the lumber = swing a wooden bat. Makes plenty of sense.
