The ball is in your court – the Role of Sport in English, part 1

The Olympic and Paraolympic Games in Paris 2024 have just come to an end. After summer many intend to start a new sport. Sport plays a significant role in the English language, contributing many idioms and expressions that can be useful to know. Likewise, the English have played a major role in the development of modern sports. This blog explores the role of sport in English and highlights why it can be an excellent topic for discussion.

Sport and Exercise – What Exactly is Considered a Sport?

What qualifies as a sport? A sport is defined as a physical activity with a competitive element. The physical aspect does not necessarily have to be very energetic; thus, some sports can be played in more relaxed settings, such as darts (tikkapeli), billiards, snooker, bowls (ruohokeilailu), or skittles (keilailu). When describing participation in sports, certain verbs are used depending on the type of activity:

• Play: We play sports where we compete against others in a game, such as football, bowls, hockey, darts, or table tennis.
• Action Verbs: For solo motion-based sports, we use the direct verb related to the action, such as swim, row, ski, hunt, fish, skate, or dive.
• Do: For activities that are not traditionally seen as games or do not have their own verb, we use "do." For example, we do gymnastics, do exercises, and do yoga.

Sport Idioms in English

Sport has heavily influenced the English language, giving rise to numerous idioms.
Here are some examples from the UK:

• Game, set, and match: It's finished and decided. (tennis)
• Move the goalposts: To unfairly change the rules. (football)
• The ball is in your court: It’s your turn to take action. (tennis)
• Drop the ball: To make a mistake or miss an opportunity. (rugby)
• Hit below the belt: To act unfairly or unethically. (boxing)
• Jump the gun: To start something prematurely. (athletics)
• Throw in the towel: To give up. (boxing)

From the USA, there are also many sports-related idioms:

• Home run: A great success. (baseball)
• Hit it out of the park: To do something extremely well. (baseball)
• Skin in the game: Having a personal stake or investment. (American football)
• A curveball: An unexpected challenge or problem. (baseball)
• A slam dunk: A guaranteed success. (basketball)

Sport is culture. Even if you are not that interested in sports, to show at least some interest might give you new contacts and opportunities. In our next blog we’ll talk briefly about the history of sports and why sports may be an excellent subject of small talk and a neutral ice-breaker.

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