Sports Idioms

The ball's in your court now.

Here are some common idioms based on sport and sports. Each entry includes the meaning of the idiom and shows the idiom in context in an example sentence. At the end is a sports idioms quiz to check your understanding.

Sports idioms generally originate from a specific sport such as baseball or sailing. Over time these phrases have come to mean something that can be used in everyday life. While most sports idioms can still be used when discussing sports, they are even more common in other areas of life, especially the business world. Try using some at work, school and social events. You will sound like a pro!

idiom sport of origin	meaning	example sentence
across the board cards	equal for everyone	Ten percent raises were given across the board.
at this stage in the game any sport	at this time	Nobody knows who is going to win the election at this stage in the game.
the ball is in your court tennis	it's your decision or responsibility to do something now	"Do you think I should accept the job offer?" "Don't ask me. The ball is in your court now".
bark up the wrong tree hunting	you've got the wrong person or idea	I think you're barking up the wrong tree by blaming Matt for the missing money.
blind-sided American football	to not see something coming	George blind-sided Eric with his fist at the bar.
blow the competition away any sport	win easily	If you wear that dress to the beauty pageant you are going to blow the competition away.
call the shots billiards	make the decisions	While our boss is on vacation, Bob will call the shots.
chip in gambling	help by donating money or time	The staff members chipped in 5 dollars each to buy Jody a birthday gift.
down to the wire horse racing	right at the end	It's coming down to the wire to get these done on time.
front runner track	one of the people who is expected to win	Angela is a front runner for the new supervisor position.
get a head start horse racing	start before all others	They gave the walkers a head start in the run for cancer.
get into the full swing tennis	be comfortable doing something after some time	It will probably take a month of working at my new job before I get into the full swing of things.
get off the hook fishing	escape, have responsibility removed	The child got off the hook for stealing because the security camera was broken.
give something or someone a fair shake gambling	try for a while before giving up	You should give Nadine a fair shake before you decide she isn't good enough for the job.
get a second wind sailing	have a burst of energy after tiring	I was exhausted after 3 kilometres of running, but I got a second wind after I passed the beach.
give it your best shot hunting	try your hardest	Give it your best shot and you may just make it to the finals.
give one a run for one's money horseracing	try one's hardest to defeat another person	I know the other team is expected to win, but let's give them a run for their money tonight.
go overboard sailing	do or say more than you need to	You can't believe everything Janice says about Rick. She tends to go overboard when she's complaining about him.
go to bat for someone baseball	defend someone	Andy is asking for a salary increase, and I'm going to go to bat for him if the boss says no.
have the upper hand cards	have a better chance of winning or succeeding	The Blues have the upper hand in the tournament, because none of their players is injured.
hit below the belt martial arts	do or say something that is very unfair or cruel	Amanda was hitting below the belt when she called Adrian an unfit father.
hit a snag boating	come up against a problem	The renovations were going along great until we hit a snag with the carpet installation.
hold all the aces cards	expected to win or succeed	The children hold all the aces when it comes to the father-son baseball tournament.
the home stretch horse racing	almost the end	I think Alice's pregnancy is in the home stretch.
hot shot (big shot) hunting	an important or very successful person	All the hot shots from Silicon Valley were invited to meet the president.

jump the gun track	start too early	I guess I jumped the gun by buying Pam and Steve a wedding gift. They called off the engagement.
keep one's head above water swimming	try not to fall behind in work or other duties	We are so busy during the tourist season I can barely keep my head above water.
learn the ropes sailing	understand new things	The first week on the job you will just be learning the ropes.
let her rip boating	go ahead now	Okay, here are the keys to your new car. Let her rip!
level playing field any field sport	everyone has an equal chance	The spelling bee is a level playing field because all of the kids are in grade nine.
long shot hunting	a very difficult thing to accomplish	Jim thinks we can afford the house, but I think it's a long shot.
make the cut any sport	be chosen to be part of a team or group	I didn't get a second interview, so I'm pretty sure I won't make the cut.
neck and neck horse racing	to be in a close tie with someone	George and Stan are neck and neck in the hockey pool. Either of them could win the money.
no sweat any sport	no problem	I told Lily it was no sweat for us to babysit next weekend.
not playing with a full deck (of cards) cards	not having full brain capacity	I think Jerry was still drunk at work on Sunday because he wasn't playing with a full deck.
not up to par golf	not good enough for a job or position	I'm afraid your resume isn't up to par for the engineering position.
to be off base baseball	not making a fair or true remark	You were way off base when you said Bill needed to lose weight.
on target darts	doing the right thing to succeed	We are on target to meet our budget this month.
on the ball baseball	ready and able	The new receptionist is really on the ball when it comes to answering the phone.
out in left field baseball	strange, very unconventional; completely wrong	All of the students laughed when Joe gave an answer that was out in left field.
out of someone's league team sport	not as good as someone	I'd like to date Maria, but I'm afraid I'm out of her league.
par for the course golf	an expected circumstance	Waiting in line is par for the course at Christmas time.
plenty of other fish in the sea fishing	there are many other men and women to date	I know you still love Jack, but remember there are plenty of other fish in the sea.
race against time track	there is almost no time left to accomplish something	It's a race against time to find a kidney donor for my cousin.
settle a score with someone any sport	get even with a person after a previous battle	My brother wants to settle the score with that guy who stole my wallet.
shot in the dark hunting	a guess	I was lucky to win the quiz. All my answers were shots in the dark.
skate on thin ice skating	do something risky, take a chance	You're skating on thin ice by not sending in your college application before now.
start the ball rolling ball sports	begin something	Please can everyone be seated so we can start the ball rolling.
step up to the plate baseball	do the honourable thing, take responsibility	It's time you stepped up to the plate and apologized for your mistake.
take a rain check baseball	accept at a later time	Sorry, I can't go to the movies today, but I'd love to take a rain check.
take sides any sport	choose a person or group to support	I hate to take sides, but I think Jerry is right about the paint colour.
take the bull by the horns bull fighting	accept the challenge and try your hardest	Even though this new job will mean relocating, I think you should take the bull by the horns for once.
take the wind out of one's sails sailing	make someone feel deflated	I think I took the wind out of Angela's sails when I told her she was a terrible singer.
throw in the towel boxing	give up	If they don't accept our offer this time we are going to throw in the towel and look at houses elsewhere.
time out any sport	break	Let's take some time out and grab a coffee.
three strikes and you're out baseball	you only get three chances	The school's no smoking policy is three strikes and you're out.
two strikes against baseball	you only have one chance remaining	Nancy is going to be fired in no time. She already has two strikes against her for coming in late.
under the table gambling	illegally	I don't have a work visa, so they have to pay me under the table.
win hands down gambling	easy victory	The other team was missing half of its players. We won hands down.