Gable Endies(association football) nickname of
the Scottish clubMontrose [local people are so
nicknamed for the Flemish architecture of some
town houses with gable ends]
Gaelic football(sport) a gamesomewhat similar
to rugby unionplayed in Ireland by teams of
15 a side with a round ball that can be kicked,
bounced, or punched but not thrown or run
with, the aim being to score goalsand points
gaff(angling) a hookused to catch large fish; (sailing) a sparto which the head of a fore-and-aft
sailis fastened
gaffer(general) colloquial term for a manageror
coach
gag(angling) a device for keeping the jaws of a
newly caught fish open while the hookis extracted
gain(trampolining) a movement along the bedin
the opposite direction to that of the element
being performed
gain line(rugby league) an imaginary line on which
a play-the-ballor scrum has taken place, as a
defining point beyond which a player or team
may take the ball; (rugby union) an imaginary
line on which a set piece, ruck, or maulhas
taken place, as a defining point beyond which a
player or team may take the ball
gait(equestrianism) the rhythm and sequence of
leg movements in which a horse moves
galáctico(association football) a top-ranking signed
footballer[Spanish galáctico, “superstar,” a term
originally used for a player signed for Real
Madrid]
gallery(golf) the spectators at a tournament; (real
tennis) one of the eight openings in the side
penthousesof the court, shotsinto which count
as chases
gallery hit (cricket) a good shotappreciated and
applauded by the spectators
gallop(equestrianism) a horse’s fastest gait, at each
strideof which all four feet are off the ground;
(horse racing) a trackwhere horses are exercised
at a gallop
Galway(horse racing) a flatand National Hunt
racecoursein Co. Galway, Ireland
game(general) (1) a competitive sport with established rules; (2) an episode or period of play, at
the end of which there is usually a resultor
score; (sport) a byname of association football
(as “the game”)
game ball(general) another term for a game point
game breaker(American football) a player who determines the outcome of a game
game fish(angling) any freshwater fish of the salmon
family except the grayling, as distinct from a
coarse fish
game of two halves(association football) a match
in which the second halfnoticeably differs from
the first half, for example in the style of play
game on!(darts) traditional call of the announcer
to signal the beginning of a game
game plan(American football) a winning strategy
worked out in advance
game point(general) a stage in a gameat which the
next pointwins
game, set, and match(tennis) a complete and decisive victory, achieved by a player who has won
a game, then a set, and finally the match
game shot(darts) the shotthat wins a leg of the
game
games(general) a session of competitive games
Games(Olympics) shortening of Olympic Games
[often preceded by the name of an Olympic city
to refer to a specific contest, as London Games,
Moscow Games]
gamesmanship(general) the art of defeating an opponent by purely psychological means [from the
title of a humorous book by Stephen Potter, The
Theory and Practice of Gamesmanship, or the Art of
Winning Games Without Actually Cheating(1947)]
fumble • gamesmanship 62
gap(baseball) another term for an alley
gaper(cricket) colloquial term for an easy catch
[anything that “gapes” offers easy access]
gapper(baseball) a ballhit into an alley
garbage(general) colloquial term for an easy shot
or scoring opportunity
gardening(cricket) colloquial term for the tamping down of a loose area of turf on the pitch, as
carried out by a batsmanwith his bat
garland(skiing) alternate left and right turns across
a slope
garryowen(rugby union) another term for an upand-under[popularized by the Garryowen club
in Limerick, Ireland]
gate(canoeing) an obstacle in the form of two freehanging poles on a slalomcourse, which participants must pass between without touching
them; (cricket) the gap between the padand bat
of a batsmanas he plays a ball; (equestrianism)
a high, narrow fence; (general) collective term for
the people who pay to see a gameor match [they
pay at the gate]; (horse racing, motorcycle racing,
skiing) shortening of starting gate; (rowing) the
U-shaped attachment at the outer end of the
outriggerthat holds the oarat the point where
it pivots; (skiing) the two flagged poles between
which a skier must pass in a slalomevent
gate money(general) payment collected from a
gate
gather(baseball, rugby football) to catch a ballas
it moves through the air; (cricket) to pick up a
rolling ball
Gatorade(athletics) proprietary name of a soft drink
containing ingredients that include glucose, citric acid, sodium bicarbonate, and potassium
chloride, drunk by athletesinstead of water to replenish rapidly lost body fluids and salts [so
named as an “aid to the Gators,” nickname of the
University of Florida college footballteam]
Gaylord flip(g ymnastics) a routineon the horizontal barcomprising a front giantand a oneand-a-half front saltoover the bar followed by
a regrasp of the bar [introduced in 1978 by the
U.S. gymnastMitch Gaylord (1961–)]
gazunder(cricket) colloquial term for a low ball
[which goes under]
GB&I(golf) abbreviation of Great Britain and Ireland as a professionalor amateurteam in an
international contest
gee-gees(horse racing) colloquial term for the
horses in a raceas the object of a bet[from geegee, a child’s word for a horse]
gelding(horse racing) a castrated male horse
general classification(cycling) the positions of ridersin a racebased on overall time
general impression(equestrianism) an aspect of
dressagefor whichpointsare awarded
genoa(sailing) a large jibthat overlaps the mainsail
gentle(angling) a soft maggot used as bait
gentle art(sport) another term for angling
Gentlemen v. Players(cricket) an annual match
between a team of amateurs (“Gentlemen”) and
a team of professionals (“Players”), first staged
at Lord’sin 1906 but discontinued from 1962,
when amateur status was abolished
genuine(greyhound racing, horse racing) relied on
to perform well in a race
German Grand Prix(auto racing) the Formula
One international Grand Prixheld on the Nürburgring circuit near Bonn, Germany
Gers(association football) short name of the Scottish clubRangers
get(squash, tennis) colloquial term for a difficult
shotsuccessfully reached and returned
get down (golf) to manage to get the ballin the
hole
get the trip(horse racing) to stay the distanceof a
race
get up(horse racing) to win a raceby a close margin
ghillie(angling) another spelling of gillie
ghost goal(association football) (1) a goalgenerally
judged to be fair but disallowed by the referee;
(2) a goal judged to be fair by the referee but in
reality not valid
gi(martial arts) another spelling of gie
giant(g ymnastics) a move on the asymmetric bars,
rings, parallel bars, or horizontal barin which
the gymnast, from a handstand position, describes a 360-degree circle by swinging down past
the ground then right up into a handstand again
giant slalom (skiing, snowboarding) an eventsimilar to the slalom, but over a longer courseand
with greater intervals between the gates
giantkiller(general) an individual or team that defeats a far superior opponent
Giants(American football) short name of the New
York Giants team; (baseball) short name of the
San Francisco Giants team; (rugby league) short
name of the English clubHuddersfield Giants
gie(martial arts) a judoor karatecostume [Japanese ki, “clothing”]
Gienger(g ymnastics) a routineon the horizontal
barand asymmetric barscomprising a flyaway
with a half-twistfollowed by a regrasp of the
bar [introduced in 1978 by the German gymnastEberhard Gienger (1951–)]
gill net(angling) a type of fishing netin which
fish are caught by their gills
Gillette Cup(cricket) original name of the Cheltenham & Gloucester Trophy
gillie(angling) a hired guide and adviser to an angler, mainly in Scotland and Ireland, perform-63 gap • gillie
ing much the same role as a caddieto a golfer
[Gaelic gille, “lad”]
Gills(association football) nickname of the English
clubGillingham
gimme(golf) a short puttthat an opponent is excused from playing as it is virtually unmissable
[respelling of give me]
gimp(angling) a fishing linebound with wire
girls(rugby union) a nickname used by forwardsfor
backs
Giro d’Italia(cycling) an annual stage raceheld in
Italy since 1909 and modeled on the Tour de
France[Italian Giro d’Italia, “Tour of Italy”]
give a horse its head(horse racing) to let a horse go
freely
give a miss(billiards) to allow an opponent to score
by deliberately failing to hit the object ball
give a ten(rowing) to row flat out for ten strokes
give-and-go(association football) another term for
a one-two [the player passes the ball(“gives”)
then runs (“goes”)]
give way!(rowing) the spoken instruction to begin
rowing
glance(cricket) a strokeby the batsmanthat deviates the ballonly slightly from its line of flight
as delivered by the bowler
glass(basketball) colloquial term for the backboard
[it deflects the ballas a mirror reflects an image]
glass arm(baseball) colloquial term for a sore arm
resulting from tendons damaged by throwing or
pitching balls
Glaziers(association football) former nickname for
the English clubCrystal Palace, now known as
the Eagles[from the club’s original location at the
Crystal Palace, London, a huge glass conservatory
built for the 1851Great Exhibition]
Gleneagles(golf) a noted golf coursein the
grounds of a hotel near Perth, Scotland
Gli Azzurri(association football) nickname for the
Italian national team [Italian gli azzurri, “the
blues,” from the color of their strip]
glide(cricket) another term for a glance; (skiing) a
smooth downhill run
glide wax(skiing) a substance applied to skis in
order to decrease their friction against the snow
glider(gliding) the engineless aircraft used in gliding; (hang-gliding) shortening of hang-glider
gliding(sport) the competitive sport of flying in
gliders, which are towed to a high altitude by a
powered aircraft then released, leaving the pilot
to use thermalsto maintain altitude or soar even
higher
glissade(mountaineering) the act of sliding down
a slope in a standing or squatting position, often
using an ice axfor braking
Globetrotters(basketball) short name of the
Harlem Globetrotters team
Glorious Goodwood(horse racing) traditional epithet for the annual racesat Goodwood
glove(baseball) a player regarded in terms of his
ability, like a batin cricket; (cricket) to strike
the ball, as a batsman, with one’s glove rather
than the bat
gloveman(cricket) colloquial term for a wicketkeeper[who wears large gloves]
Glovers(association football) nickname for the English clubYeovil Town [from the local glovemaking industry]
gloves(boxing) shortening of boxing gloves; (general) the special gloves worn in various ball
games, as by the goalkeeperin association footballor the wicketkeeperin cricket
glovework(cricket) colloquial term for the skills of
the gloveman
go about(sailing) to change course
go close(horse racing) to finish in second or third
place [a term often used as a prediction of a
horse’s chances in a race]
go down(general) to be defeated in a contest;
(horse racing) to go from the paddockto the
startof a race
go in(cricket) to begin an innings
go-kart(auto racing) a low racing vehicle consisting basically of a frame with wheels, engine, and
steering gear but now often closer in design and
form to a light racecar
go on(cricket) to begin bowling
go one better (horse racing) to finish a racein a
higher position than previously, especially when
this was a place
go the distance(boxing) to complete the scheduled duration of a fight
go the route(baseball) to pitchfor the entire
game
go yard(baseball) to hit a home run
goal(general) (1) in association footballand many
other games, the pair of postswith a crossbar
into or over which the ballis kicked, hit, or carried to make a score; (2) a corresponding structure in other sports, as a basketin basketball
or a netin netball; (3) the score itself
goal area(general) the area in front of the goal
goal-area line(general) a line parallel to the goal
line
goal attack(netball) an attacking player restricted
to the shooting circle, attacking third, and center third
goal average(association football) a method, replaced in 1976 by the goal difference, of deciding the league position of two or more clubs
with the same total of points, in which the number of goalsscored by a club was divided by the
number scored against them
goal celebration(association football) an exuberant
Gills • goal celebration 64
or extravagant display of triumph by a player
who has just scored a goal
goal circle(field hockey, netball) another name for
the shooting circle
goal crease(lacrosse) the circle around the goal
which only defensive players may enter
goal defense(netball) a defensive player restricted
to the shooting circle, defending third, and
center third
goal difference(association football) a method, replacing the goal averagein 1976, of deciding
the league position of two or more clubswith
the same total of points, in which the number
of goalsscored against a club is deducted from
the number it has itself scored
goal hit(shinty) the method of bringing the ball
back into play after it has gone over the goal line
goal kick(association football) a free kickawarded
to the defending team in the six-yard areaof
the penalty boxwhen the opposing team puts
the ballbehind the goal line(but not between
the goalpoststo score a goal)
goal line (American football, association football; field hockey, ice hockey) the line marking the
end of the pitch, on which the goalsstand;
(rugby league, rugby union) another term for the
try line
goal shooter(netball) an attacking player restricted
to the shooting circleand attacking third
goal square (Australian Rules) a square marked in
front of the goal
goalball(sport) a gamedesigned specifically for the
blind, played on an indoor courtwith a ball
containing a bell, the aim being to roll the ball
past the opposing team into their goal
goalhanger(association football) a player who
spends much of the gamelurking near the goal
of the opponents for an opportunity to score
goalie(association football) colloquial shortening
of goalkeeper
goalkeeper(general) the player who defends the
goalin a gamesuch as association football
goalless draw(general) a drawwith a scoreof
0–0, no goalshaving been scored by either team
goalminder(ice hockey) another term for the goaltender
goalmouth(association football) the area immediately in front of the goal
goalposts(general) the poststhat form the goal
goalscorer(general) a player who regularly or reliably scores goals
goaltender(ice hockey) a player whose role is to
stop the puckfrom entering the net
goaltending(basketball) the illegal touching of the
ballas it comes down toward the basket
gobble(golf) colloquial term for a puttplayed so
powerfully that if the ballhad not gone into the
hole it would have gone far beyond it [the hole
“gobbled” it up]
goer(horse racing) a horse that runs fast
gofer(baseball) a pitchthat can be hit for a run,
especially a home run[the battercan go forit]
goff(golf) an archaic spelling of golf, reflecting
the word’s old-fashioned pronunciation
going(horse racing) the condition of the ground
at a racecourse in terms of its moisture and
“give,” conventionally divided into heavy(very
wet and soft), yielding, soft, good-to-soft, good,
good-to-firm, firm, standard, and hard[parts of
the coursemay be placed in a subsidiary category, giving a formula such as “good (good-tofirm in places)”]
gold(Olympics) shortening of gold medal
Gold Cup (horse racing) shortening of Ascot Gold
Cup,Cheltenham Gold Cup, Hennessy Gold
Cup, or any similarly named trophy
gold glove (baseball) an annual award made to the
outstanding fielderin the league at each position
gold medal(Olympics) the medal awarded as first
prize[gold is a more valuable metal than silver
or bronze]
Golden Boot (association football) the name until
1991of the Golden Shoe
golden duck(cricket) a duckscored by a batsman
who is outfirst ball[from goldas the first
award]
golden girl(Olympics) journalistic epithet for a
female winner, or potential winner, of a gold
medal, especially if fair-haired and good-looking
Golden Globe Race(sailing) a quadrennial singlehanded round-the-world racefirst held in 1968
[name of the trophyawarded]
Golden Gloves(boxing) an amateurcompetition
originating in 1927 as a U.S. intercities tournament, the winner receiving a gold medal and a
pair of miniature golden gloves
golden goal(association football) the first goal
scored in extra time, as a method of settling a
draw[introduced in 1996 but abandoned in
2004, like the silver goal, in favor of the penalty
shoot-out]
Golden Shoe (association football) an annual award
made to the player scoring the most goalsin
league matchesfrom the top divisionof every
European national league [formerly known,
under different and less stringent rules, as the
Golden Boot]
golden sombrero(baseball) a notional award given
to a batterwho strikes outfour times in a game
[a feat cynically regarded as greater than a hat
trick]
Goldie (rowing) the reserve eightof Cambridge
University, who race their Oxford counterpart,
65 goal circle • Goldie
Isis, immediately before the Boat Race[named
for a Cambridge boatman]
golf(sport) a gameplayed with a club used to propel a ballinto each holeon a course[perhaps
from Dutch kolf, “club”]
golf bag(golf) a bag for carrying golf clubs
golf ball(golf) the small rubber-cored ballwith
which golfis played
golf cart(golf) a small motorized vehicle used to
drive around a golf course
golf club(golf) (1) a long-handled metal-faced
(formerly wooden-faced) club with which the
ballis struck; (2) an association of players with
its own golf courseand clubhouse
golf course(golf) the area of specially prepared
ground with fairways and hazardson which
golfis played
golf croquet(croquet) a shorter and faster form of
the gamein which each turn consists of a single
stroke
golf links(golf) another term for a golf course,
properly one on low ground by the sea [not from
link, “ring in a chain,” but an Old English word
meaning “bank”]
golf widow(golf) a woman whose husband spends
a good deal of time playing golf
golfer(golf) a player of golf
golfiana(golf) a collector’s term for items of
golfinginterest
golfing(golf) the sport of playing golf
good(golf, tennis) (of ) a shotmade accurately;
(horse racing) a category of going; (wrestling) (of )
a lift approved by the majority of the three
judges
good areas(cricket) colloquial term for those parts
of a pitch where a balldelivered by the bowler
makes it difficult for the batsmanto score easily
good ball(rugby union) a ball whose possessionhas
potential for scoring a tryor at least a good run
up the field
Goodwood (horse racing) a flat racecourseat Goodwood Park, near Chichester, West Sussex, England, the picturesque setting of Glorious
Goodwood
Goodwood Revival(auto racing) an annual race
of classic (period) cars held from 1998 on the
former Formula One racetrackat Goodwood
goof y footer(snowboarding) a boarderwho rides
with the right foot in front of the left, as distinct
from a regular footer; (surfing) a surferwho
rides with the right foot in front of the left, as distinct from a natural footer
googly(cricket) an off breakbowled with an apparent leg-breakaction by a right-arm bowler
to a right-handed batsman (or the converse)
[origin uncertain]
goon squad(ice hockey) a group of specially selected players whose role is to intimidate the opposition
Gooners(association football) another spelling of
Gunners
goose egg(general) a zero score[from the eggshaped figure 0 for zero]
goose step(rugby union) a hitch-kickaction performed by a player while running so that he
seems to be slowing down although is really
speeding up [from the military march step]
gopher(baseball) another spelling of gofer
gore(parachuting) the sector-like section of a
canopy
gorge(angling) a baitintended to be swallowed by
the fish
GP(auto racing) abbreviation of Grand Prix
Grace Road(cricket) the home groundof Leicestershire county cricket club, Leicester
grade cricket (cricket) a form of the game in Australia in which clubscompete in grades
graduation race(horse racing) a racedesigned to
develop inexperienced horses
Graham(mountaineering) a Scottish mountain
peak between 2,000 and 2,400 feet in height
with a reascent of 500 feet on all sides [named for
Fiona Torbet, née Graham, who published a list
of them in 1992]
grand amplitude(wrestling) a throwin which the
combatant’s center of gravity is lower than that
of his opponent
Grand Challenge Cup(rowing) the cupawarded
to the winner of a racefor eightsat Henley
Royal Regatta, inaugurated in 1839
Grand Final(rugby league) a system of play-offsintroduced to the Super Leaguein 1996 to replace
the earlier premiershipsystem
Grand National(horse racing) Britain’s most famous steeplechase, run annually at Aintree
since 1839
Grand Prix(auto racing) an international racefor
Formula One cars first held in France in 1906
and now staged on a number of circuitsaround
the world [name originally used for the Grand
Prix de Paris]; (general) a title for any major
contest or championship, as the MotoGP
Grand Prix de Paris(horse racing) an international
racefor three-year-oldsrun annually at Longchampsince 1863 [French Grand Prix de Paris,
“chief prize of Paris”]
grand prix freestyle (equestrianism) the final
roundof a grand prix dressagecompetition, in
which horse and riderperform a series of maneuvers to music
grand salami(baseball) colloquial alteration of
grand slam
grand slam(association football) the winning of
golf • grand slam 66
the domestic league, all domestic cups, and the
European Champions’ Cup; (baseball) a home
runhit when there is a baserunnerat each base;
(cycling) the winning of the Tour de France,
Giro d’Italia, and Vuelta d’Españain the same
season; (equestrianism) the winning of the Kentucky Three-Day Event and the equivalent
contests in England at Badmintonand Burghley; (golf) the winning of the four Majors;
(rugby union) the winning of all matchesin the
Six Nations; (tennis) the winning of the Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon, and
the U.S. Open[a term from card playing, as the
winning of every trick in a game, with slam of
unknown origin but popularly associated with
the sense “bang”]
Grande Boucle(cycling) (1) an annual stage racefor
female cyclistsequating to the Tour de France;
(2) a nickname for the Tour de France [French
Grande Boucle, “Great Loop”]
grandstand(general) an elevated structure for
spectators at a racecourseor other venue
grandstand finish(general) a close and exciting
finishto a raceor other contest
granny gear(cycling) colloquial term for a very low
gear
grapevine(ice skating) a figurein which the skates
trace interlacing lines on the ice; (wrestling) a
holdin all-in wrestlingin which a combatant
uses his legs to turn his opponent
grass(angling) to bring a fish to the bank; (cricket),
to drop a catch; (rugby league, rugby union) to
knock an opponent to the ground
grass court(tennis) a courtwith a grass surface, as
distinct from a hard court
grass hockey(sport) another name for field hockey
grass skis(skiing) skissimilar to roller skatesthat
are used for skiing down grassy slopes
grass-track racing(motorcycle racing) a form of
speedwayover grass tracks
grasshopper(angling) the live insect used as bait
Grasstex(tennis) proprietary name of an artificial
surface for tennis courtsconsisting of a composition base with a top layer of natural fibers
reinforced by emulsified asphalt [blend of grass
and texture]
gravel trap(auto racing) an area of gravel near a
corner, used to slow cars down if they run off
the track
gray race(horse racing) an annual raceat Newmarketfor gray horses only
great game(sport) an epithet for golf
Great North Run(athletics) an annual half
marathon run through Newcastle and Gateshead, northeastern England [name perhaps suggested by the Great North Road, a historic highway running north to this region from London]
Great South Run(athletics) an annual half marathonrun in and around Portsmouth, Hampshire, as the southern equivalent of the Great
North Run
Grecians(association football) nickname of the English clubExeter City [said to derive from a local
reenactment of the Trojan War, in which the
Greeks besieged the city of Troy]
Greco-Roman (wrestling) a type of wrestlingin
which only the upper body and arms, not the
legs, may be used for moves and holds[from the
supposed classical form of the sport]
green(bowls) the area of closely mown grass on
which the gameis played; (golf) the area of
closely mown grass around the holewhere puttingtakes place; (snooker) the green ball, worth
three points
green card(field hockey) a card shown by the refereeas a warning to a player after a relatively
minor infringement
green cloth(billiards, snooker) a term for the billiard table [shortening of board of green cloth,
for its baizecovering]
green flag(auto racing) a flagshown to a driver to
indicate that a hazard has been cleared and that
cars can return to normal racing speed
green horse(equestrianism, horse racing) a horse
that has not yet been trained, or that has only
just begun training
green jacket(golf) the jacket presented to the winner of the Mastersby the winner from the previous year
green jersey (cycling) (1) the jersey worn by the
winner of the points competitionin the Tour de
France[French maillot vert, “green jersey”]; (2)
the jersey awarded to the King of the Mountainsin the Giro d’Italia[Italian maglia verde,
“green jersey”]
green spot(snooker) the spot on the billiard table
where the green is positioned, in the left corner
of the Das viewed from the balkend
greenback(surfing) a wave before it breaks
greenie(surfing) another term for a greenback
greenkeeper(bowls) the person who has the care of
the green; (golf) the person who has the care of
the course
greensome(golf) a type of fourballplay in which
all players drive, then each pair selects the ball
with which they aim to complete the hole [blend
of greenand foursome]
gremlin(surfing) (1) colloquial term for a young
surfer; (2) colloquial term for a troublemaker
who frequents the beach but is not a surfer
[probably alteration of goblin]
gremmy(surfing) colloquial shortening of gremlin
Grey Cup (Canadian football) the cupawarded
67 Grande • Grey
annually to the championteam of the Canadian
Football League [donated in 1909 by Earl Grey
(1851–1917), governor general of Canada]
Greyhound Derby(greyhound racing) the sport’s
top racein Britain, first held in 1927 [named
after the Derby]
greyhound racing(sport) a sport in which (usually) six greyhounds pursue a lurearound a circular or oval track, the first dog to finish being
the winner
grid(American football) shortening of gridiron;
(auto racing) a pattern of lines painted on the
racetrackto indicate the positions of the cars at
the start
gridder(American football) a player of the game
gridiron(American football) the fieldon which the
gameis played, with lines marked across every
five yards; (sport) a byname of American football
grille(real tennis) a square opening in a corner of the
end wall of the court, a shotinto which scores a
point
grind(skateboarding) a move in which one of the
trucksis scraped along the grind rail or other
surface
grind rail(skateboarding) a long narrow bar on
which stunts can be performed
grip(general) the manner in which a player holds
a cricket bat, golf club, tennis racket, or the
like
griptape(skateboarding) a tough adhesive tape used
on the boardto provide extra grip for the feet
gripwax (skiing) a substance applied to skisto increase friction and thus also traction
Grizzlies(basketball) short name of the Vancouver Grizzlies team
grommet(general) colloquial term for any sort of
young boarder[perhaps from grummet, “ship’s
boy,” influenced by gremlin]
groom(equestrianism) an assistant and adviser to
the driver in carriage driving
gross(horse racing) (of ) a horse that is naturally
large-girthed, as distinct from overweight
ground(cricket) the area behind the popping
creasewith which the batsmanmust be physically in contact to avoid being stumpedor run
out; (general) the area on which a gameis regular played
ground angling(angling) fishingwithout a float,
with a weight placed close to the hook
ground ball(baseball) a ballhit along the ground,
as distinct from a fly ball
ground fielding(cricket) catching or stopping a
ballnear the ground
ground line(equestrianism) in show jumping, the
line along the base of a fence, used to judge the
point of a horse’s takeoff
ground out(baseball) to hit a ground balland be
put outby not reaching first basebefore the
throwfrom a fielder
ground shot(tennis) another term for a ground
stroke
ground staff(cricket) a paid staff of promising
young players kept by a club; (general) a group
of people who look after a sports groundor
playing field
ground stroke(tennis) a strokeplayed after the
ballhas bounced, especially one made from the
baseline
ground under repair(golf) an area of the course
that is being repaired and therefore not valid for
play
groundbait(angling) baitdropped to the bottom
of a stream or river to attract fish there
grounder(baseball, cricket) a batted ballthat rolls
along the ground instead of flying through the air
groundhopper(association football) a supporter
who travels to different groundsto see as many
matches as possible
groundman(general) another spelling of groundsman
groundsman(general) a person who takes care of
a sports ground or playing field
group(horse racing) one of the categories of pattern
races, group 1including the English classicsand
other important international races; group 2 the
less important international races, and group 3
mainly domesticraces; (shooting) a cluster of
hitson a target
group race(horse racing) another term for a pattern
race
grovet(wrestling) a holdin which a combatant
grips his opponent’s head between his chest and
forearm, forcing his rival’s shoulders to the mat
with his other arm [origin uncertain]
grub(cricket) a ball that runs flat along the ground
after leaving the hand of the bowler
grub kick(rugby league, rugby union) a ball dropped
from the hand and kicked along the ground
grubber(cricket) another term for a grub; (rugby
league, rugby union) shortening of grub kick
grudgeby(rugby union) colloquial term for the
keenly contested annual varsity matchbetween
Oxford and Cambridge universities, first held in
1872 [blend of grudge match, “contest aiming to
settle longstanding rivalry,” and rugby]
grummet(general) another spelling of grommet
gruppetto(cycling) another term for an autobus
[Italiangruppetto, “little group”]
guard(American football) a lineman positioned
immediately to the left or right of the center;
(basketball) a player who mainly operates away
from the basket, unlike a forward; (bowls) a delivery of the bowlthat blocks an opponent’s
Greyhound • guard 68
path to the jack or to another bowl; (boxing) a
defensive stance, with the gloves raised to protect the face; (cricket) the position of the bat
taken by the batsmanin front of the wicket
when he is ready to receive a ball; (curling) a
stoneplayed into a position where it can protect
another stone from being hit; (fencing) the metal
cup at the end of the hiltthat protects the hand
from being hit
guernsey(Australian Rules) a type of sleeveless shirt
worn by team players
guide runner(athletics) a person who accompanies a visually impaired track athlete
Guineas(horse racing) shortening of One Thousand Guineasor Two Thousand Guineas
gulley(octopush) the long tray that serves as a goal
Gulls(association football) nickname of the English clubTorquay United [from the seagulls
that frequent the coastal town]
gully(cricket) a fieldingposition on the off side,
between pointand slips [from gullyin its basic
sense “channel,” referring to the gap between the
named positions]
gumshield(boxing) another term for a mouthpiece
gun(surfing) a large heavy surf boardused for riding big waves
Gunners(association football) nickname of the English clubArsenal [from the workers at the Royal
Arsenal, London, who founded the club in 1886]
gunwale(rowing) the top section on the sides of a
shell, to which the outriggersare fixed
gutters(tenpin bowling) the gulleys that run the
length of the laneand to either side of it
gut wrench(wrestling) a move in which a combatant rolls his opponent onto his back while in a
bridgeposition
gutty(golf) an old-fashioned type of golf ball
[made from gutta percha]
gybe(sailing) to swing a sailfrom one side of the
boat to the other in order to alter course
gybe mark(sailing) a mark showing where yachts
must gybein an ocean race
gym(g ymnastics) familiar shortening of gymnasiumor gymnastics
gym rat (general) a person who regularly attends a
gym
gymkhana(auto racing) an autocrosscontest;
(equestrianism) a contest between amateur or
young ridersin various equestrian sports [Hindi
gend khana, “ball house,” influenced by gym]
gymnasium(general) a place, hall, or building for
gymnasticsor indoor sports [originally, in ancient Greece, a public place where youths exercised, from Greek g ymnos, “naked”]
gymnast(general) a person who performs or practices gymnastics
gymnastics(sport) a range of moves or exercises
performed on the flooror on apparatus, either
competitively or to tone the body and improve
agility and coordination
gyoji(sumo) the referee[Japanese g yoji, “referee”]
the Scottish clubMontrose [local people are so
nicknamed for the Flemish architecture of some
town houses with gable ends]
Gaelic football(sport) a gamesomewhat similar
to rugby unionplayed in Ireland by teams of
15 a side with a round ball that can be kicked,
bounced, or punched but not thrown or run
with, the aim being to score goalsand points
gaff(angling) a hookused to catch large fish; (sailing) a sparto which the head of a fore-and-aft
sailis fastened
gaffer(general) colloquial term for a manageror
coach
gag(angling) a device for keeping the jaws of a
newly caught fish open while the hookis extracted
gain(trampolining) a movement along the bedin
the opposite direction to that of the element
being performed
gain line(rugby league) an imaginary line on which
a play-the-ballor scrum has taken place, as a
defining point beyond which a player or team
may take the ball; (rugby union) an imaginary
line on which a set piece, ruck, or maulhas
taken place, as a defining point beyond which a
player or team may take the ball
gait(equestrianism) the rhythm and sequence of
leg movements in which a horse moves
galáctico(association football) a top-ranking signed
footballer[Spanish galáctico, “superstar,” a term
originally used for a player signed for Real
Madrid]
gallery(golf) the spectators at a tournament; (real
tennis) one of the eight openings in the side
penthousesof the court, shotsinto which count
as chases
gallery hit (cricket) a good shotappreciated and
applauded by the spectators
gallop(equestrianism) a horse’s fastest gait, at each
strideof which all four feet are off the ground;
(horse racing) a trackwhere horses are exercised
at a gallop
Galway(horse racing) a flatand National Hunt
racecoursein Co. Galway, Ireland
game(general) (1) a competitive sport with established rules; (2) an episode or period of play, at
the end of which there is usually a resultor
score; (sport) a byname of association football
(as “the game”)
game ball(general) another term for a game point
game breaker(American football) a player who determines the outcome of a game
game fish(angling) any freshwater fish of the salmon
family except the grayling, as distinct from a
coarse fish
game of two halves(association football) a match
in which the second halfnoticeably differs from
the first half, for example in the style of play
game on!(darts) traditional call of the announcer
to signal the beginning of a game
game plan(American football) a winning strategy
worked out in advance
game point(general) a stage in a gameat which the
next pointwins
game, set, and match(tennis) a complete and decisive victory, achieved by a player who has won
a game, then a set, and finally the match
game shot(darts) the shotthat wins a leg of the
game
games(general) a session of competitive games
Games(Olympics) shortening of Olympic Games
[often preceded by the name of an Olympic city
to refer to a specific contest, as London Games,
Moscow Games]
gamesmanship(general) the art of defeating an opponent by purely psychological means [from the
title of a humorous book by Stephen Potter, The
Theory and Practice of Gamesmanship, or the Art of
Winning Games Without Actually Cheating(1947)]
fumble • gamesmanship 62
gap(baseball) another term for an alley
gaper(cricket) colloquial term for an easy catch
[anything that “gapes” offers easy access]
gapper(baseball) a ballhit into an alley
garbage(general) colloquial term for an easy shot
or scoring opportunity
gardening(cricket) colloquial term for the tamping down of a loose area of turf on the pitch, as
carried out by a batsmanwith his bat
garland(skiing) alternate left and right turns across
a slope
garryowen(rugby union) another term for an upand-under[popularized by the Garryowen club
in Limerick, Ireland]
gate(canoeing) an obstacle in the form of two freehanging poles on a slalomcourse, which participants must pass between without touching
them; (cricket) the gap between the padand bat
of a batsmanas he plays a ball; (equestrianism)
a high, narrow fence; (general) collective term for
the people who pay to see a gameor match [they
pay at the gate]; (horse racing, motorcycle racing,
skiing) shortening of starting gate; (rowing) the
U-shaped attachment at the outer end of the
outriggerthat holds the oarat the point where
it pivots; (skiing) the two flagged poles between
which a skier must pass in a slalomevent
gate money(general) payment collected from a
gate
gather(baseball, rugby football) to catch a ballas
it moves through the air; (cricket) to pick up a
rolling ball
Gatorade(athletics) proprietary name of a soft drink
containing ingredients that include glucose, citric acid, sodium bicarbonate, and potassium
chloride, drunk by athletesinstead of water to replenish rapidly lost body fluids and salts [so
named as an “aid to the Gators,” nickname of the
University of Florida college footballteam]
Gaylord flip(g ymnastics) a routineon the horizontal barcomprising a front giantand a oneand-a-half front saltoover the bar followed by
a regrasp of the bar [introduced in 1978 by the
U.S. gymnastMitch Gaylord (1961–)]
gazunder(cricket) colloquial term for a low ball
[which goes under]
GB&I(golf) abbreviation of Great Britain and Ireland as a professionalor amateurteam in an
international contest
gee-gees(horse racing) colloquial term for the
horses in a raceas the object of a bet[from geegee, a child’s word for a horse]
gelding(horse racing) a castrated male horse
general classification(cycling) the positions of ridersin a racebased on overall time
general impression(equestrianism) an aspect of
dressagefor whichpointsare awarded
genoa(sailing) a large jibthat overlaps the mainsail
gentle(angling) a soft maggot used as bait
gentle art(sport) another term for angling
Gentlemen v. Players(cricket) an annual match
between a team of amateurs (“Gentlemen”) and
a team of professionals (“Players”), first staged
at Lord’sin 1906 but discontinued from 1962,
when amateur status was abolished
genuine(greyhound racing, horse racing) relied on
to perform well in a race
German Grand Prix(auto racing) the Formula
One international Grand Prixheld on the Nürburgring circuit near Bonn, Germany
Gers(association football) short name of the Scottish clubRangers
get(squash, tennis) colloquial term for a difficult
shotsuccessfully reached and returned
get down (golf) to manage to get the ballin the
hole
get the trip(horse racing) to stay the distanceof a
race
get up(horse racing) to win a raceby a close margin
ghillie(angling) another spelling of gillie
ghost goal(association football) (1) a goalgenerally
judged to be fair but disallowed by the referee;
(2) a goal judged to be fair by the referee but in
reality not valid
gi(martial arts) another spelling of gie
giant(g ymnastics) a move on the asymmetric bars,
rings, parallel bars, or horizontal barin which
the gymnast, from a handstand position, describes a 360-degree circle by swinging down past
the ground then right up into a handstand again
giant slalom (skiing, snowboarding) an eventsimilar to the slalom, but over a longer courseand
with greater intervals between the gates
giantkiller(general) an individual or team that defeats a far superior opponent
Giants(American football) short name of the New
York Giants team; (baseball) short name of the
San Francisco Giants team; (rugby league) short
name of the English clubHuddersfield Giants
gie(martial arts) a judoor karatecostume [Japanese ki, “clothing”]
Gienger(g ymnastics) a routineon the horizontal
barand asymmetric barscomprising a flyaway
with a half-twistfollowed by a regrasp of the
bar [introduced in 1978 by the German gymnastEberhard Gienger (1951–)]
gill net(angling) a type of fishing netin which
fish are caught by their gills
Gillette Cup(cricket) original name of the Cheltenham & Gloucester Trophy
gillie(angling) a hired guide and adviser to an angler, mainly in Scotland and Ireland, perform-63 gap • gillie
ing much the same role as a caddieto a golfer
[Gaelic gille, “lad”]
Gills(association football) nickname of the English
clubGillingham
gimme(golf) a short puttthat an opponent is excused from playing as it is virtually unmissable
[respelling of give me]
gimp(angling) a fishing linebound with wire
girls(rugby union) a nickname used by forwardsfor
backs
Giro d’Italia(cycling) an annual stage raceheld in
Italy since 1909 and modeled on the Tour de
France[Italian Giro d’Italia, “Tour of Italy”]
give a horse its head(horse racing) to let a horse go
freely
give a miss(billiards) to allow an opponent to score
by deliberately failing to hit the object ball
give a ten(rowing) to row flat out for ten strokes
give-and-go(association football) another term for
a one-two [the player passes the ball(“gives”)
then runs (“goes”)]
give way!(rowing) the spoken instruction to begin
rowing
glance(cricket) a strokeby the batsmanthat deviates the ballonly slightly from its line of flight
as delivered by the bowler
glass(basketball) colloquial term for the backboard
[it deflects the ballas a mirror reflects an image]
glass arm(baseball) colloquial term for a sore arm
resulting from tendons damaged by throwing or
pitching balls
Glaziers(association football) former nickname for
the English clubCrystal Palace, now known as
the Eagles[from the club’s original location at the
Crystal Palace, London, a huge glass conservatory
built for the 1851Great Exhibition]
Gleneagles(golf) a noted golf coursein the
grounds of a hotel near Perth, Scotland
Gli Azzurri(association football) nickname for the
Italian national team [Italian gli azzurri, “the
blues,” from the color of their strip]
glide(cricket) another term for a glance; (skiing) a
smooth downhill run
glide wax(skiing) a substance applied to skis in
order to decrease their friction against the snow
glider(gliding) the engineless aircraft used in gliding; (hang-gliding) shortening of hang-glider
gliding(sport) the competitive sport of flying in
gliders, which are towed to a high altitude by a
powered aircraft then released, leaving the pilot
to use thermalsto maintain altitude or soar even
higher
glissade(mountaineering) the act of sliding down
a slope in a standing or squatting position, often
using an ice axfor braking
Globetrotters(basketball) short name of the
Harlem Globetrotters team
Glorious Goodwood(horse racing) traditional epithet for the annual racesat Goodwood
glove(baseball) a player regarded in terms of his
ability, like a batin cricket; (cricket) to strike
the ball, as a batsman, with one’s glove rather
than the bat
gloveman(cricket) colloquial term for a wicketkeeper[who wears large gloves]
Glovers(association football) nickname for the English clubYeovil Town [from the local glovemaking industry]
gloves(boxing) shortening of boxing gloves; (general) the special gloves worn in various ball
games, as by the goalkeeperin association footballor the wicketkeeperin cricket
glovework(cricket) colloquial term for the skills of
the gloveman
go about(sailing) to change course
go close(horse racing) to finish in second or third
place [a term often used as a prediction of a
horse’s chances in a race]
go down(general) to be defeated in a contest;
(horse racing) to go from the paddockto the
startof a race
go in(cricket) to begin an innings
go-kart(auto racing) a low racing vehicle consisting basically of a frame with wheels, engine, and
steering gear but now often closer in design and
form to a light racecar
go on(cricket) to begin bowling
go one better (horse racing) to finish a racein a
higher position than previously, especially when
this was a place
go the distance(boxing) to complete the scheduled duration of a fight
go the route(baseball) to pitchfor the entire
game
go yard(baseball) to hit a home run
goal(general) (1) in association footballand many
other games, the pair of postswith a crossbar
into or over which the ballis kicked, hit, or carried to make a score; (2) a corresponding structure in other sports, as a basketin basketball
or a netin netball; (3) the score itself
goal area(general) the area in front of the goal
goal-area line(general) a line parallel to the goal
line
goal attack(netball) an attacking player restricted
to the shooting circle, attacking third, and center third
goal average(association football) a method, replaced in 1976 by the goal difference, of deciding the league position of two or more clubs
with the same total of points, in which the number of goalsscored by a club was divided by the
number scored against them
goal celebration(association football) an exuberant
Gills • goal celebration 64
or extravagant display of triumph by a player
who has just scored a goal
goal circle(field hockey, netball) another name for
the shooting circle
goal crease(lacrosse) the circle around the goal
which only defensive players may enter
goal defense(netball) a defensive player restricted
to the shooting circle, defending third, and
center third
goal difference(association football) a method, replacing the goal averagein 1976, of deciding
the league position of two or more clubswith
the same total of points, in which the number
of goalsscored against a club is deducted from
the number it has itself scored
goal hit(shinty) the method of bringing the ball
back into play after it has gone over the goal line
goal kick(association football) a free kickawarded
to the defending team in the six-yard areaof
the penalty boxwhen the opposing team puts
the ballbehind the goal line(but not between
the goalpoststo score a goal)
goal line (American football, association football; field hockey, ice hockey) the line marking the
end of the pitch, on which the goalsstand;
(rugby league, rugby union) another term for the
try line
goal shooter(netball) an attacking player restricted
to the shooting circleand attacking third
goal square (Australian Rules) a square marked in
front of the goal
goalball(sport) a gamedesigned specifically for the
blind, played on an indoor courtwith a ball
containing a bell, the aim being to roll the ball
past the opposing team into their goal
goalhanger(association football) a player who
spends much of the gamelurking near the goal
of the opponents for an opportunity to score
goalie(association football) colloquial shortening
of goalkeeper
goalkeeper(general) the player who defends the
goalin a gamesuch as association football
goalless draw(general) a drawwith a scoreof
0–0, no goalshaving been scored by either team
goalminder(ice hockey) another term for the goaltender
goalmouth(association football) the area immediately in front of the goal
goalposts(general) the poststhat form the goal
goalscorer(general) a player who regularly or reliably scores goals
goaltender(ice hockey) a player whose role is to
stop the puckfrom entering the net
goaltending(basketball) the illegal touching of the
ballas it comes down toward the basket
gobble(golf) colloquial term for a puttplayed so
powerfully that if the ballhad not gone into the
hole it would have gone far beyond it [the hole
“gobbled” it up]
goer(horse racing) a horse that runs fast
gofer(baseball) a pitchthat can be hit for a run,
especially a home run[the battercan go forit]
goff(golf) an archaic spelling of golf, reflecting
the word’s old-fashioned pronunciation
going(horse racing) the condition of the ground
at a racecourse in terms of its moisture and
“give,” conventionally divided into heavy(very
wet and soft), yielding, soft, good-to-soft, good,
good-to-firm, firm, standard, and hard[parts of
the coursemay be placed in a subsidiary category, giving a formula such as “good (good-tofirm in places)”]
gold(Olympics) shortening of gold medal
Gold Cup (horse racing) shortening of Ascot Gold
Cup,Cheltenham Gold Cup, Hennessy Gold
Cup, or any similarly named trophy
gold glove (baseball) an annual award made to the
outstanding fielderin the league at each position
gold medal(Olympics) the medal awarded as first
prize[gold is a more valuable metal than silver
or bronze]
Golden Boot (association football) the name until
1991of the Golden Shoe
golden duck(cricket) a duckscored by a batsman
who is outfirst ball[from goldas the first
award]
golden girl(Olympics) journalistic epithet for a
female winner, or potential winner, of a gold
medal, especially if fair-haired and good-looking
Golden Globe Race(sailing) a quadrennial singlehanded round-the-world racefirst held in 1968
[name of the trophyawarded]
Golden Gloves(boxing) an amateurcompetition
originating in 1927 as a U.S. intercities tournament, the winner receiving a gold medal and a
pair of miniature golden gloves
golden goal(association football) the first goal
scored in extra time, as a method of settling a
draw[introduced in 1996 but abandoned in
2004, like the silver goal, in favor of the penalty
shoot-out]
Golden Shoe (association football) an annual award
made to the player scoring the most goalsin
league matchesfrom the top divisionof every
European national league [formerly known,
under different and less stringent rules, as the
Golden Boot]
golden sombrero(baseball) a notional award given
to a batterwho strikes outfour times in a game
[a feat cynically regarded as greater than a hat
trick]
Goldie (rowing) the reserve eightof Cambridge
University, who race their Oxford counterpart,
65 goal circle • Goldie
Isis, immediately before the Boat Race[named
for a Cambridge boatman]
golf(sport) a gameplayed with a club used to propel a ballinto each holeon a course[perhaps
from Dutch kolf, “club”]
golf bag(golf) a bag for carrying golf clubs
golf ball(golf) the small rubber-cored ballwith
which golfis played
golf cart(golf) a small motorized vehicle used to
drive around a golf course
golf club(golf) (1) a long-handled metal-faced
(formerly wooden-faced) club with which the
ballis struck; (2) an association of players with
its own golf courseand clubhouse
golf course(golf) the area of specially prepared
ground with fairways and hazardson which
golfis played
golf croquet(croquet) a shorter and faster form of
the gamein which each turn consists of a single
stroke
golf links(golf) another term for a golf course,
properly one on low ground by the sea [not from
link, “ring in a chain,” but an Old English word
meaning “bank”]
golf widow(golf) a woman whose husband spends
a good deal of time playing golf
golfer(golf) a player of golf
golfiana(golf) a collector’s term for items of
golfinginterest
golfing(golf) the sport of playing golf
good(golf, tennis) (of ) a shotmade accurately;
(horse racing) a category of going; (wrestling) (of )
a lift approved by the majority of the three
judges
good areas(cricket) colloquial term for those parts
of a pitch where a balldelivered by the bowler
makes it difficult for the batsmanto score easily
good ball(rugby union) a ball whose possessionhas
potential for scoring a tryor at least a good run
up the field
Goodwood (horse racing) a flat racecourseat Goodwood Park, near Chichester, West Sussex, England, the picturesque setting of Glorious
Goodwood
Goodwood Revival(auto racing) an annual race
of classic (period) cars held from 1998 on the
former Formula One racetrackat Goodwood
goof y footer(snowboarding) a boarderwho rides
with the right foot in front of the left, as distinct
from a regular footer; (surfing) a surferwho
rides with the right foot in front of the left, as distinct from a natural footer
googly(cricket) an off breakbowled with an apparent leg-breakaction by a right-arm bowler
to a right-handed batsman (or the converse)
[origin uncertain]
goon squad(ice hockey) a group of specially selected players whose role is to intimidate the opposition
Gooners(association football) another spelling of
Gunners
goose egg(general) a zero score[from the eggshaped figure 0 for zero]
goose step(rugby union) a hitch-kickaction performed by a player while running so that he
seems to be slowing down although is really
speeding up [from the military march step]
gopher(baseball) another spelling of gofer
gore(parachuting) the sector-like section of a
canopy
gorge(angling) a baitintended to be swallowed by
the fish
GP(auto racing) abbreviation of Grand Prix
Grace Road(cricket) the home groundof Leicestershire county cricket club, Leicester
grade cricket (cricket) a form of the game in Australia in which clubscompete in grades
graduation race(horse racing) a racedesigned to
develop inexperienced horses
Graham(mountaineering) a Scottish mountain
peak between 2,000 and 2,400 feet in height
with a reascent of 500 feet on all sides [named for
Fiona Torbet, née Graham, who published a list
of them in 1992]
grand amplitude(wrestling) a throwin which the
combatant’s center of gravity is lower than that
of his opponent
Grand Challenge Cup(rowing) the cupawarded
to the winner of a racefor eightsat Henley
Royal Regatta, inaugurated in 1839
Grand Final(rugby league) a system of play-offsintroduced to the Super Leaguein 1996 to replace
the earlier premiershipsystem
Grand National(horse racing) Britain’s most famous steeplechase, run annually at Aintree
since 1839
Grand Prix(auto racing) an international racefor
Formula One cars first held in France in 1906
and now staged on a number of circuitsaround
the world [name originally used for the Grand
Prix de Paris]; (general) a title for any major
contest or championship, as the MotoGP
Grand Prix de Paris(horse racing) an international
racefor three-year-oldsrun annually at Longchampsince 1863 [French Grand Prix de Paris,
“chief prize of Paris”]
grand prix freestyle (equestrianism) the final
roundof a grand prix dressagecompetition, in
which horse and riderperform a series of maneuvers to music
grand salami(baseball) colloquial alteration of
grand slam
grand slam(association football) the winning of
golf • grand slam 66
the domestic league, all domestic cups, and the
European Champions’ Cup; (baseball) a home
runhit when there is a baserunnerat each base;
(cycling) the winning of the Tour de France,
Giro d’Italia, and Vuelta d’Españain the same
season; (equestrianism) the winning of the Kentucky Three-Day Event and the equivalent
contests in England at Badmintonand Burghley; (golf) the winning of the four Majors;
(rugby union) the winning of all matchesin the
Six Nations; (tennis) the winning of the Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon, and
the U.S. Open[a term from card playing, as the
winning of every trick in a game, with slam of
unknown origin but popularly associated with
the sense “bang”]
Grande Boucle(cycling) (1) an annual stage racefor
female cyclistsequating to the Tour de France;
(2) a nickname for the Tour de France [French
Grande Boucle, “Great Loop”]
grandstand(general) an elevated structure for
spectators at a racecourseor other venue
grandstand finish(general) a close and exciting
finishto a raceor other contest
granny gear(cycling) colloquial term for a very low
gear
grapevine(ice skating) a figurein which the skates
trace interlacing lines on the ice; (wrestling) a
holdin all-in wrestlingin which a combatant
uses his legs to turn his opponent
grass(angling) to bring a fish to the bank; (cricket),
to drop a catch; (rugby league, rugby union) to
knock an opponent to the ground
grass court(tennis) a courtwith a grass surface, as
distinct from a hard court
grass hockey(sport) another name for field hockey
grass skis(skiing) skissimilar to roller skatesthat
are used for skiing down grassy slopes
grass-track racing(motorcycle racing) a form of
speedwayover grass tracks
grasshopper(angling) the live insect used as bait
Grasstex(tennis) proprietary name of an artificial
surface for tennis courtsconsisting of a composition base with a top layer of natural fibers
reinforced by emulsified asphalt [blend of grass
and texture]
gravel trap(auto racing) an area of gravel near a
corner, used to slow cars down if they run off
the track
gray race(horse racing) an annual raceat Newmarketfor gray horses only
great game(sport) an epithet for golf
Great North Run(athletics) an annual half
marathon run through Newcastle and Gateshead, northeastern England [name perhaps suggested by the Great North Road, a historic highway running north to this region from London]
Great South Run(athletics) an annual half marathonrun in and around Portsmouth, Hampshire, as the southern equivalent of the Great
North Run
Grecians(association football) nickname of the English clubExeter City [said to derive from a local
reenactment of the Trojan War, in which the
Greeks besieged the city of Troy]
Greco-Roman (wrestling) a type of wrestlingin
which only the upper body and arms, not the
legs, may be used for moves and holds[from the
supposed classical form of the sport]
green(bowls) the area of closely mown grass on
which the gameis played; (golf) the area of
closely mown grass around the holewhere puttingtakes place; (snooker) the green ball, worth
three points
green card(field hockey) a card shown by the refereeas a warning to a player after a relatively
minor infringement
green cloth(billiards, snooker) a term for the billiard table [shortening of board of green cloth,
for its baizecovering]
green flag(auto racing) a flagshown to a driver to
indicate that a hazard has been cleared and that
cars can return to normal racing speed
green horse(equestrianism, horse racing) a horse
that has not yet been trained, or that has only
just begun training
green jacket(golf) the jacket presented to the winner of the Mastersby the winner from the previous year
green jersey (cycling) (1) the jersey worn by the
winner of the points competitionin the Tour de
France[French maillot vert, “green jersey”]; (2)
the jersey awarded to the King of the Mountainsin the Giro d’Italia[Italian maglia verde,
“green jersey”]
green spot(snooker) the spot on the billiard table
where the green is positioned, in the left corner
of the Das viewed from the balkend
greenback(surfing) a wave before it breaks
greenie(surfing) another term for a greenback
greenkeeper(bowls) the person who has the care of
the green; (golf) the person who has the care of
the course
greensome(golf) a type of fourballplay in which
all players drive, then each pair selects the ball
with which they aim to complete the hole [blend
of greenand foursome]
gremlin(surfing) (1) colloquial term for a young
surfer; (2) colloquial term for a troublemaker
who frequents the beach but is not a surfer
[probably alteration of goblin]
gremmy(surfing) colloquial shortening of gremlin
Grey Cup (Canadian football) the cupawarded
67 Grande • Grey
annually to the championteam of the Canadian
Football League [donated in 1909 by Earl Grey
(1851–1917), governor general of Canada]
Greyhound Derby(greyhound racing) the sport’s
top racein Britain, first held in 1927 [named
after the Derby]
greyhound racing(sport) a sport in which (usually) six greyhounds pursue a lurearound a circular or oval track, the first dog to finish being
the winner
grid(American football) shortening of gridiron;
(auto racing) a pattern of lines painted on the
racetrackto indicate the positions of the cars at
the start
gridder(American football) a player of the game
gridiron(American football) the fieldon which the
gameis played, with lines marked across every
five yards; (sport) a byname of American football
grille(real tennis) a square opening in a corner of the
end wall of the court, a shotinto which scores a
point
grind(skateboarding) a move in which one of the
trucksis scraped along the grind rail or other
surface
grind rail(skateboarding) a long narrow bar on
which stunts can be performed
grip(general) the manner in which a player holds
a cricket bat, golf club, tennis racket, or the
like
griptape(skateboarding) a tough adhesive tape used
on the boardto provide extra grip for the feet
gripwax (skiing) a substance applied to skisto increase friction and thus also traction
Grizzlies(basketball) short name of the Vancouver Grizzlies team
grommet(general) colloquial term for any sort of
young boarder[perhaps from grummet, “ship’s
boy,” influenced by gremlin]
groom(equestrianism) an assistant and adviser to
the driver in carriage driving
gross(horse racing) (of ) a horse that is naturally
large-girthed, as distinct from overweight
ground(cricket) the area behind the popping
creasewith which the batsmanmust be physically in contact to avoid being stumpedor run
out; (general) the area on which a gameis regular played
ground angling(angling) fishingwithout a float,
with a weight placed close to the hook
ground ball(baseball) a ballhit along the ground,
as distinct from a fly ball
ground fielding(cricket) catching or stopping a
ballnear the ground
ground line(equestrianism) in show jumping, the
line along the base of a fence, used to judge the
point of a horse’s takeoff
ground out(baseball) to hit a ground balland be
put outby not reaching first basebefore the
throwfrom a fielder
ground shot(tennis) another term for a ground
stroke
ground staff(cricket) a paid staff of promising
young players kept by a club; (general) a group
of people who look after a sports groundor
playing field
ground stroke(tennis) a strokeplayed after the
ballhas bounced, especially one made from the
baseline
ground under repair(golf) an area of the course
that is being repaired and therefore not valid for
play
groundbait(angling) baitdropped to the bottom
of a stream or river to attract fish there
grounder(baseball, cricket) a batted ballthat rolls
along the ground instead of flying through the air
groundhopper(association football) a supporter
who travels to different groundsto see as many
matches as possible
groundman(general) another spelling of groundsman
groundsman(general) a person who takes care of
a sports ground or playing field
group(horse racing) one of the categories of pattern
races, group 1including the English classicsand
other important international races; group 2 the
less important international races, and group 3
mainly domesticraces; (shooting) a cluster of
hitson a target
group race(horse racing) another term for a pattern
race
grovet(wrestling) a holdin which a combatant
grips his opponent’s head between his chest and
forearm, forcing his rival’s shoulders to the mat
with his other arm [origin uncertain]
grub(cricket) a ball that runs flat along the ground
after leaving the hand of the bowler
grub kick(rugby league, rugby union) a ball dropped
from the hand and kicked along the ground
grubber(cricket) another term for a grub; (rugby
league, rugby union) shortening of grub kick
grudgeby(rugby union) colloquial term for the
keenly contested annual varsity matchbetween
Oxford and Cambridge universities, first held in
1872 [blend of grudge match, “contest aiming to
settle longstanding rivalry,” and rugby]
grummet(general) another spelling of grommet
gruppetto(cycling) another term for an autobus
[Italiangruppetto, “little group”]
guard(American football) a lineman positioned
immediately to the left or right of the center;
(basketball) a player who mainly operates away
from the basket, unlike a forward; (bowls) a delivery of the bowlthat blocks an opponent’s
Greyhound • guard 68
path to the jack or to another bowl; (boxing) a
defensive stance, with the gloves raised to protect the face; (cricket) the position of the bat
taken by the batsmanin front of the wicket
when he is ready to receive a ball; (curling) a
stoneplayed into a position where it can protect
another stone from being hit; (fencing) the metal
cup at the end of the hiltthat protects the hand
from being hit
guernsey(Australian Rules) a type of sleeveless shirt
worn by team players
guide runner(athletics) a person who accompanies a visually impaired track athlete
Guineas(horse racing) shortening of One Thousand Guineasor Two Thousand Guineas
gulley(octopush) the long tray that serves as a goal
Gulls(association football) nickname of the English clubTorquay United [from the seagulls
that frequent the coastal town]
gully(cricket) a fieldingposition on the off side,
between pointand slips [from gullyin its basic
sense “channel,” referring to the gap between the
named positions]
gumshield(boxing) another term for a mouthpiece
gun(surfing) a large heavy surf boardused for riding big waves
Gunners(association football) nickname of the English clubArsenal [from the workers at the Royal
Arsenal, London, who founded the club in 1886]
gunwale(rowing) the top section on the sides of a
shell, to which the outriggersare fixed
gutters(tenpin bowling) the gulleys that run the
length of the laneand to either side of it
gut wrench(wrestling) a move in which a combatant rolls his opponent onto his back while in a
bridgeposition
gutty(golf) an old-fashioned type of golf ball
[made from gutta percha]
gybe(sailing) to swing a sailfrom one side of the
boat to the other in order to alter course
gybe mark(sailing) a mark showing where yachts
must gybein an ocean race
gym(g ymnastics) familiar shortening of gymnasiumor gymnastics
gym rat (general) a person who regularly attends a
gym
gymkhana(auto racing) an autocrosscontest;
(equestrianism) a contest between amateur or
young ridersin various equestrian sports [Hindi
gend khana, “ball house,” influenced by gym]
gymnasium(general) a place, hall, or building for
gymnasticsor indoor sports [originally, in ancient Greece, a public place where youths exercised, from Greek g ymnos, “naked”]
gymnast(general) a person who performs or practices gymnastics
gymnastics(sport) a range of moves or exercises
performed on the flooror on apparatus, either
competitively or to tone the body and improve
agility and coordination
gyoji(sumo) the referee[Japanese g yoji, “referee”]
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