Gambling Related Idioms
Gambling Related Idioms Average ratng: 7,1/10 7891 votes
The ball's in your court now.
Our Ultimate Gambling Glossary is designed to help. Here you can familiarize yourself with phrases, casino terms, gambling meanings, slang terms, definitions, and the online chat abbreviations of. The high-stakes world of gambling has given us many common terms and phrases. From 'gimmick' to 'blue chip,' here are some words for when you hit the jackpot.
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. |
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