Lesson 13:

English Idioms from Sports and Games

Introductory Quiz
Guess the correct meaning of each idiom from the context. It's OK if you get a lot of
answers incorrect - the important part is to do your best in trying to figure it out!

Question 1

I wanted to buy my mother a camera for her birthday, but my brother beat me to the
punch - so now I'll have to think of a different gift.

If another person "beats you to the punch," it means he...

A did something before you

B stole something from you
C told you it was a terrible idea

Question 2

The woman's death appears to have been an accident. There's no evidence of foul play.

"Foul play" means...

A dangerous conditions
B illegal activity
C suicide

Question 3

We're finally in the home stretch for the publication of our magazine - the articles
have been written, the design is done, the first issue is printed, and now we're just
waiting for the mailing to go out.

"The home stretch" means...

A the final period before completion

B the profitable phase of a new business
C the rest after a lot of hard work

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Question 4

That college gives preference to applicants whose parents are graduates, so it's not a
level playing field.

A "level playing field" is a situation in which...

A all the competitors are equal

B education levels are low
C you are optimistic about the outcome

Question 5

I went through a difficult time after I lost all my money in my twenties - I even lived on
the streets for a while. It wasn't easy, but I learned to roll with the punches.

To "roll with the punches" means...

A not to depend on anyone else for help

B make enough money to survive by doing odd jobs
C adjust to difficult events as they happen

Question 6

Four months after his divorce, he married a woman he met at the gym on the
rebound.

"On the rebound" means...

A a person who is much younger

B in secret
C soon after the end of a previous relationship

Question 7

Everyone had already agreed on the plan, but then the boss made a suggestion that was
completely out of left field - and the meeting went on for another hour as we
discussed it.

If something is "out of left field," it...

A comes from an authority

B comes from an unexpected direction
C delays a process

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Question 8

I'm eternally grateful to Barbara for going to bat for me when I was falsely accused of
stealing from the company.

If someone "goes to bat for" you, it means she...

A comforts and encourages you

B doesn't believe what others are saying
C gives help, support, and defense

Question 9

I don't know how Tiffany manages to keep track of all the details for 12 different projects
- and still do everything so well. She's really on the ball.

If you say a person is "on the ball," it means she is...

A busy and overwhelmed

B knowledgeable and attentive
C a team player who works well with others

Question 10

It's not easy to do a double major in both biology and literature, but if you play your
cards right, you can complete all the requirements in four years.

If you "play your cards right," it means you do something...

A as fast as possible
B cautiously, without taking any risks
C correctly and skillfully

Question 11

I promise to be polite to your friends, even though I don't agree with their political
views. But if they start making offensive or racist remarks, then all bets are off.

"All bets are off" means...

A anything could happen

B I'm going to leave
C they are crazy

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Question 12

When the economy is in bad shape, it's hard for people with history or philosophy
degrees to get good jobs. The deck is stacked against them.

If "the deck is stacked against" you, it means...

A you should have made different choices in your past

B you will need to fight for your ideas, even when other people reject you
C your chance for success is limited due to factors beyond your control

Question 13

I'm mad at my brother. I helped him out when he was struggling financially, but now
that the tables are turned, he says I should be responsible and take care of myself.

"The tables are turned" means...

A a lot of time has passed

B other people have influenced him
C the situation is reversed

Question 14

There have been many efforts to eradicate indigenous culture over the centuries, but the
native people have managed to preserve their traditions against the odds.

If you achieve something "against the odds," it means you do it...

A because of religious reasons

B despite a low probability of success
C in order to pass it on to the next generation

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Video Explanation
#1 - beat you to the punch = do something before you

This idiom comes from boxing. Both boxers want to punch

(hit) each other - but the one who successfully punches
first will have the advantage.

If you are thinking about doing something, but then

somebody else does it first, then they "beat you to the
punch."

#2 - foul play = illegal activity

In many sports, an action that breaks the rules is called a foul.

The expression "foul play" is used for illegal activity in general
- especially when a person dies and there is a possibility that it
was a murder (someone killed him / her).

#3 - the home stretch = the final period before completion

In horse racing, the straight parts of the racetrack are

called "stretches" or "straightaways" - and the final one
before the finish line is called the home stretch. Anytime
you are in the final part of a process, and you will finish
soon, you are in the home stretch.

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#4 - a level playing field = all the competitors are equal

The place where outdoor sports like soccer, baseball, and

American football are played is called a field. If the field
had an incline, then one team would have an unfair
advantage. However, if the field is level (flat) then
everybody has an equal chance.

#5 - roll with the punches = adjust to difficult events as they happen

This is another idiom from boxing. A good boxer can move

his body to avoid his opponent's punches as they come -
this is called rolling with the punches. In life in general,
rolling with the punches means you have the ability to face
difficult events and adapt or adjust so that they do not hurt
you.

#6 - on the rebound = soon after the end of a previous relationship

In basketball, a rebound is when the ball doesn't go into the

basket and comes back down. The players try to grab the
rebound to get a second chance to put the ball in the basket
and score a point.

In the context of romantic relationships, a person who is

still recovering emotionally after the end of the previous
relationship is said to be "on the rebound." Sometimes
people make impulsive decisions during this period because
they are not yet emotionally stable.

#7 - out of left field = from an unexpected direction

In baseball, left field is an area that is very distant from the center of the action. The
idiom "out of left field" is often used during conversations when someone makes a
comment that is completely unrelated to the discussion or comes from a very
unexpected angle, or the person has an idea or suggestion with a surprising origin.

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#8 - go to bat for you = give you help, support, and defense

In baseball, "going to bat" means taking a turn to try to hit the ball. It's
possible for one player to substitute another player in this role. In
general English, the expression "go to bat for someone" means to
provide strong support for that person - often when the person is in
trouble or needs to be defended.

#9 - on the ball = knowledgeable and attentive

In sports like soccer, someone who stays "on the ball" is a skilled player who has control
of the situation. So if you say a person is "on the ball," it means they are intelligent and
attentive; they are not lazy or stupid and they don't forget things.

#10 - play your cards right = do something correctly and skillfully

Games like poker and blackjack are played with cards. Many
of these games require strategy in addition to luck, so in order
to win, you need to "play your cards right." This idiom can be
used for doing any activity in a strategic and smart way.

#11 - all bets are off = anything could happen

A bet is when you promise to pay (or receive) an amount of money depending on the
result of a sports game or another event. If something unexpected happens - for
example, the team's best player gets injured and leaves the game, then "all bets are off" -
nobody knows what the result is going to be. In general English, this idiom is used when
the future possibilities are completely unpredictable.

#12 - the deck is stacked against you

= your chance for success is limited due to factors beyond your control

A complete set of 52 cards is called a deck. Players can cheat by "stacking the deck" -
which means secretly arranging the cards so that their opponent will have a

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disadvantage. When you are facing a situation in life in which other people have
manipulated the system to give you a disadvantage, you can say "the deck is stacked
against me."

#13 - the tables are turned = the situation is reversed

Games like backgammon are known as "tables" games. If you "turn the tables," you
reverse the situation and play from your opponent's position. The idiom "the tables are
turned" therefore means the situation is reversed; it is the opposite of what it was
before.

 “the tables are turned”

#14 - against the odds = despite a low probability

The word "odds" refers to the probability of winning a bet - if the odds are good, then it
is probable that you will win; if the odds are not good, then it is probable that you will
lose. However, if the probability of succeeding is low and yet you succeed anyway, then
you have succeeded "against the odds" - in spite of the improbability.

You’ve finished Lesson 13!

Take the practice quiz and try the writing exercises – and log in tomorrow for Lesson 14.

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Practice Quiz
Question 1

I found several mistakes in this article - it looks like the editor is not quite
_____________.

A in the home stretch

B on the ball
C playing his cards right

Question 2

Last year, my husband was unemployed and I had a full-time job. Now
_______________ - he's working and I'm staying home with the baby.

A he beat me to the punch

B it's a level playing field
C the tables are turned

Question 3

It's a long drive, but now we're ______________ - just 30 more minutes.

A in the home stretch

B on the ball
C out of left field

Question 4

Although there has been a lot of progress in improving access to opportunities for
minorities in this country, ____________________ in many ways.

A all bets are still off

B they are still on the rebound
C the deck is still stacked against them

Question 5

I'm proud of my daughter - she ______________ her best friend when the other kids
were calling her stupid.

A went against the odds

B turned the tables on
C went to bat for

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Question 6

I have an idea that's ________________, but it's so crazy it just might work!

A foul play
B out of left field
C playing the cards

Question 7

The doctors said he would never walk again after the accident, but he managed to prove
them wrong _______________.

A against the odds

B on a level playing field
C in the home stretch

Question 8

Our factory has had five machinery failures in the past month, but we've been able to
__________________ and still meet our production quotas.

A go to bat
B roll with the punches
C stack the deck

Question 9

I was going to ask Jennifer to dance, but Danny _________________!

A beat me to the punch

B is on the rebound
C played his cards right

Question 10

We had been planning to spend the day at the museum and then go out to dinner -
however, our babysitter canceled and we'll have our 2-year-old twins with us, so
______________.

A all bets are off

B it's out of left field
C the tables are turned

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Answers
1) B

2) C

3) A

4) C

5) C

6) B

7) A

8) B

9) A

10) A

Speaking / Writing Exercises

1. Describe a time when you were thinking about doing something, but someone
else beat you to the punch.

2. Have you ever gotten into a relationship while on the rebound? (or do you know
somebody who has?) How did it work out?

3. Tell about a situation when you went to bat for someone - or somebody went to
bat for you.

4. Are there any groups of people in your country for whom "the deck is stacked
against them"?

5. Have you ever been in a situation when the tables were turned?

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Image sources

Rick Dikeman
Softeis
Cake6
O'Jay Barbee
Cburnett
AuntiMame
Dirk Hansen
posterize, FreeDigitalPhotos.net
dan, FreeDigitalPhotos.net
Ptkfgs, Boivie

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