hack(curling) footholds of metal or rubber at each
end of the rinkfrom which players can push off;
(general) to kick the shins of another player (illegally); (rugby union) shortening of fly hack
hacker(golf, tennis) colloquial term for a poor
player [who hacks at the ball]
hacking(sport) the riding of a horse in the countryside for recreation
hackle(angling) an artificial flymade of a cock’s
hackle or neck feather
Hacky Sack(sport) proprietary name of a gameof
U.S. origin in which players attempt to kick a
footbag without letting it touch the ground
[from hack, “kick,” and sack]
hail(shinty)(1) a goal; (2) a score[apparently from
hail!, the shout with which the player scored a
goal]
hail Mary (American football) colloquial term for
a high passthrown into the end zoneat the very
end of a game [a desperate move for which a
prayer is needed]
hailkeeper(shinty) a goalkeeper
hairdryer treatment(association football) a berating by a manager of his team for their poor play
[his scolding hits them like a blast of hot air]
hairpin(auto racing) a sharp double bend on the
track[shaped like a hairgrip or bobby pin]; (skiing) two successive vertical gateson a slalom
course
hairy Mary(angling) a kind of artificial fly[from
its appearance]
hajime(judo) the command with which the referee starts a bout[Japanese hajime, “beginning”]
haka(rugby union) the Maori war dance performed
by the All Blacksbefore the start of a match
[Maori haka, “dance”]
half(American football) shortening of half time;
(general) (1) one of the two periods of equal
length into which a gameis divided; (2) one of
the two parts of the field of play either side of
the half way line; (3) shortening of center half,
left half, right half, or half back
half ball(snooker) a strokethat sends the cue ball
against the edge of the object ball
half bisque(croquet) a restricted bisquein which
no point can be scored
half blue(general) a person who is second choice
for a blueor who is chosen to play in a minor
sport such as badmintonor lacrosse
half butt(snooker) a cuelonger than the standard
cue, usually used with a rest
half century(cricket) a scoreof 50 runs; (snooker)
a breakof 50 points
69 guernsey • half century
half cock(cricket) a strokemade by a batsman
that plays the ballneither forward nor back
half-court line(squash) a line on the floor of the
courtthat divides the back of the court into two
half-forward flank(Australian Rules) an attacking
player who plays on the flanknear the 50-meter
arc
half gainer(swimming) a divein which a backflip
is followed by a head-first plunge into the water
facing the board
half-in, half-out(g ymnastics) a move comprising a double salto with a half twiston each
salto
half marathon(athletics) a foot racejust over half
the length of a marathon(13 miles 352 yards,
21.243km)
half mile(athletics) the former equivalent of the
800 meters
half miler(athletics) a runnerspecializing in the
former half mileor present 800 meters
half nelson (wrestling) a nelsonapplied on one side
only, with one of the combatant’s arms under
one of his opponent’s arms
half-one(golf) a handicapof one strokeevery
second hole
half pass(equestrianism) in dressage, a sideways
and forward movement in which the horse
crosses its legs
half-pipe(skateboarding) a U-shaped structure
made of concrete from which boarderslaunch
the boardto perform aerial maneuvers; (snowboarding) a U-shaped channel cut into the snow
from which boarderslaunch the boardto perform aerial maneuvers
half pirouette(equestrianism) a half-circle turn by
the horse with its inside hind foot as a pivot
half roll(croquet) a croquetin which the opposing ball, when struck, travels two or three times
as far as the striker’s ball
half shot(golf) a shotplayed with about half the
usual swing
half strike(tenpin bowling) alternate term for a
spare
half time(general) the interval between the first
halfof a gameand the second
half twist(g ymnastics) a half-rotation of the body
around the spine
half volley(association football) a kick in which
the player’s boot makes contact with the ballas
it begins to bounce up off the ground; (cricket)
a strokeby the batsmanof a ballas it starts to
rise after pitching; (tennis) a shotof the ballimmediately after it bounces
half back(American football) a running backpositioned between the quarterbackand fullback;
(rugby league) either of the players scrum half
and standoff half; (rugby union) either of the
players scrum halfand fly half, providing a link
between the forwardsand the three quarters
half back flank(Australian Rules) a running defenderwho plays on the flank
half way line(association football, rugby league,
rugby union) the line that separates the two equal
halvesof the pitch
halieutics(angling) a formal term for the art of
fishing, especially as the title of a treatise [Greek
halieutes, “fisher,” from hals, “sea”]
Hall of Fame(general) an institution that honors
outstanding figures in the history of a particular
sport, as the BaseballHall of Fame, Cooperstown, New York, the Golf Hall of Fame, St.
Augustine, Florida, and the Pro FootballHall of
Fame, Canton, Ohio
halt!(fencing) a command to stop fencing
halve(golf) to play a holeor matchin the same
number of strokesas one’s opponent
halyard(sailing) a rope used for raising or lowering a sail
ham(boxing) an incompetent boxer
Hambletonian (horse racing) an annual harness
racefor trotters, first held in 1926 at Syracuse,
New York, but now at the Meadowlands racetrack, New Jersey [named for Hambletonian
(foaled 1849), the ancestor of most harness racers]
Hamilton Park (horse racing) a flat racecourseat
Hamilton, central Scotland
hammer(athletics) (1) a heavy metal ballattached
to a long flexible wire which is thrown by being
swung around the thrower’s head and then released; (2) the field eventin which it is thrown
hammerlock(wrestling) a holdin which the opponent’s arm is twisted up behind his back
Hammers(association football) nickname of the
English clubWest Ham United [not directly
from the placename but from the shipbuilding
department of the Thames Ironworks, London,
where workers formed the club in 1895]
Hampden Park(association football) the home
groundin Glasgow, Scotland, of both the Scottish club Queens Park and the national team
Hampden roar(association football) traditional
term describing the vociferous support for the
home or national team at matchesat Hampden
Park
hand(general) a roundor innings
hand line(angling) a fishing linewithout a rod
handbags(association football, rugby union) colloquial term used by radio and TV commentators
for a confrontation between players [from the
concept of a woman’s handbag used to belabor
a rival or opponent]
handball(association football) the offenseof touching or striking the ballwith one’s hand; (Aushalf cock • handball 70
tralian Rules) the act of passing the ballby holding it in one hand and striking it with the fist of
the other; (sport) (1) a gamewith seven players
a side played on an indoor courtbetween goals
in which the ball is struck with the palm of the
hand; (2) a game similar to fivesin which a ball
is struck with the gloved hand against a wall
handcycle(cycling) a hand-cranked tricycle used
in races by disabled riders
handhold(mountaineering) a projection or other
feature that one can grasp while climbing
handicap(general) a raceor competition in which
an inferior competitor’s chances are improved by
some means, as being given a head start; (golf)
the number of strokesby which a player’s average scoreexceeds parfor the course, this number being subtracted from the player’s score in
strokeplaycompetitions; (horse racing) a race in
which each horse carries a weightdetermined by
its handicap markin order to equalize its chances
against other runners; (polo) a value assigned to
each player based on previous performances [apparently from hand i’ cap (“hand in the cap”),
from a game of chance in which a hand drawn
out of a cap holds either something or nothing]
handicap mark(horse racing) the assessment of a
horse’s form, expressed as a figure between 0 and
140 and used as the basis for calculating the
weightit carries in a handicap
handicap race(horse racing) a racerun as a handicap
handicapper(horse racing) (1) an official who assigns
a handicapto a horse; (2) a horse running in a
handicap race
handin(badminton, real tennis, squash) the player
whose side has the service
handle(association football) to commit the offense
of handball; (horse racing) the total takings from
betsplaced on a race
handled the ball(cricket) the offensecommitted
by a batsmanwho deliberately touches the ball
with a hand not holding the bat, as a result of
which he is out
handler(boxing) a person who trains and acts as a
secondto a boxer; (horse racing) another term for
a trainer
handling game(rugby union) play in which the
ballis primarily advanced by being handled, as
against a kicking game
handoff(American football) the passing of the ball
from the quarterbackto a running back; (rugby
league, rugby union) a {legal) move in which a
player with the ballpushes away an opponent
handout(badminton, real tennis, squash) (1) the
player whose side is receiving the service; (2) the
situation when the first player on the serving side
loses his service
handover(athletics) the passing of the batonfrom
one runner to another in a relay race; (rugby
league) the change in possessionafter the sixth
tackle
handpass(Australian Rules) another term for a
handball
handplant(snowboarding) a move in which a
boarderplants one or both hands on the rim of
the halfpipeto pivot into a turn
hands(association football) alternate term for
handball
hands and heels(horse racing) riding without the
use of a whip [using the hands and heels only to
direct and encourage the horse]
handsling(cycling) a method used to change places
in the madison, by which teammates grip hands,
then release the grip, so that one ridercan propel the other forward
handspring(g ymnastics) a movement in which the
gymnastmoves forward or backward onto his
hands from a standing position, then completes
a somersault, landing on his feet.
handstand(g ymnastics) a move in which the gymnast supports his body vertically on his hands
in an upside-down position
handy(horse racing) in a prominent position in a
race
hang(horse racing) to veer to one side while running
hang a left(skiing) to turn to the left
hang a right(skiing) to turn to the right
hang five(surfing) to have the five toes of one foot
projecting over the nose of the board, usually to
gain speed
hang-glider(hang-gliding) the light engineless aircraft used in hang-gliding
hang-gliding(sport) a sport in which the participant glides from a height such as a clifftop hanging in a harness from a hang-glider, which he
controls by shifting his body weight in opposition to the control frame
hang ten(surfing) to have the ten toes of both feet
projecting over the nose of the board, usually to
gain speed
hang up one’s boots(association football) to retire
from the sport
hang up one’s gloves(boxing) to retire from the
sport
hanging lie(golf) the position of the ballwhen it
is resting on a slope
hangtime(American football) the time that a
kicked ballremains in the air; (basketball) the
time a player is able to remain in the air when
shooting or jumping for the ball
Har-Tru(tennis) proprietary name of an artificial
surface for tennis courts, made from crushed
greenstone [combination of hardand true]
71 handcycle • Har-Tru
harbor race(sailing) a racearound a course marked
out by buoys, often in several laps
hard(horse racing) a category of going
hard court(tennis) a courtlaid with clay, cement,
or the like, as distinct from a grass court
hardball(sport) another term for baseball[as
against softball]
hare(athletics) another term for a pacemaker[he
sets the pace, like the artificial hare or lure in
greyhound racing]
hare and hounds (general) a race in which a
runnerwith a head start (the hare) leaves a trail
for the others (the hounds) to follow; (motorcycle racing) a form of endurowith no checkpoints
harl(angling) a type of artificial fly[made from a
harl, the barb of a feather]
Harmsworth Cup(powerboat racing) the cup
awarded to the winner of an international race
for boats under 40ft (12m) in length [presented
in 1903 by Sir Alfred Harmsworth (1865–1922),
later Lord Northcliffe]
harness race(horse racing) a race between trotters
or pacersharnessed to sulkies
harness racing(horse racing) the staging of harness racesas a sporting contest
harriers(athletics) in cross-country running, a
group or club of participants in the sport [with
Harriers often part of their name]
Harriers(association football) short name of the
English clubKidderminster Harriers
Harrow drive(cricket) another term for a Chinese
cut[presumably from Harrow School]
Harry Sunderland Trophy(rugby league) the trophyawarded since 1965 to the man of the match
in the Super League Grand Final[named in
commemoration of Australian tour manager
Harry Sunderland (1890–1964)]
Harry Wraggs (association football) nickname of
the Scottish clubPartick Thistle [rhyming slang
for the more common nickname Jags, from the
English jockeyHarry Wragg (1902–1985)]
Hart Memorial Trophy(ice hockey) the trophy
awarded annually to the Most Valuable Player
[named for Cecil Hart, manager of the Montreal Canadiens 1926–39]
hash marks(American football) the marks at intervals of one yard that run the length of the field,
the two sets of such marks on the gridiron
marking the furthest distance from the center of
the field at which the ballcan be placed to restart
play [so called from their resemblance to hash
marks, “military service stripes”]
hat trick(association football) the scoring of three
goalsby the same player in a single match;
(cricket) the feat of taking three wicketswith
consecutive balls; (general) three successes of
any kind in any sport [so called as deserving the
award of a new hat]
Hatters(association football) nicknames of the English clubsLuton Town and Stockport County
[from the hat-manufacturing industry in each
town]
haul(cricket) a good number of wicketstaken by
a bowlerin a match [as if loot in a robbery]
haute école(equestrianism) a group term for the
more difficult feats of horsemanship[French
haute école, “high school”]
have the mount(horse racing) to ride a particular
horse in a race
Hawk-Eye(general) proprietary name of a computer program that uses high-speed video cameras around a tennis courtor cricket ground
to create a 3D image of the ballas it moves and
calculate the path it would have taken [invented
by Paul Hawkins as an aid to radio and TV commentators]
Hawks(Australian Rules) short name of the
Hawthorn Hawks team; (basketball) short name
of the Atlanta Hawks team; (rugby league) short
name of the English clubHunslet Hawks
Haydock Park(horse racing) a flatand National
Hunt racecoursenear Ashton-in-Makerfield,
northwestern England
haymaker(boxing) colloquial term for a wild
swinging punch; (cricket) colloquial term for a
sweeping strokewith the bat [suggestive of a
sweeping scythe in haymaking]
hazard(billiards, snooker) a strokein which one
of the ballsgoes into a pocketas either a winning hazardora lozing hazard; (fives) a feature
of a courtthat affects the behavior of a ball
played on to it, as the pepperboxin Eton fives;
(golf) an obstacle in the form of a bunkeror
water hazard; (real tennis) any of the openings
or galleriesaround the courtthat are not winning openings
hazard side (real tennis) the half of the courtinto
which the ballis served
head(bowls) the grouping of bowlsaround the
jack; (greyhound racing) the length of a greyhound’s head, used to describe the distance between two dogs at the finish; (horse racing) the
length of a horse’s head, used to describe the distance between two runnersat the finish
Head of the River(rowing) the title given the crew
finishing first in the bumping racesat Oxford
and Cambridge
Head of the River Race(rowing) an annualracefor
eightsover the reverse Boat Racecourse, first
held in 1926
head pin(tenpin bowling) the frontmost pinin the
triangular arrangement
head start(general) an advantage given to a conharbor • head start 72
testant at the startof a race[in horse racing
that of a horse in front of others by the length of
a head]
head string(pool) a line a quarter the length of the
tablefrom the top, behind which a player must
make any break
header(association football) a passor shotat goal
made by directing the ballwith the head
headhunter(baseball) colloquial term for a pitcher
who throws bean balls; (ice hockey) a player who
by physical means in this contact sport aims
with others to remove star oppositionplayers
from the game
Headingley(cricket) the home groundof Yorkshire county cricket club, Leeds
headless spin(ice skating) a spinlike the upright
spinbut with the head tilted away
headlock(wrestling) a hold in which a combatant
puts his arms around his opponent’s head and
tightens his grip by interlocking the fingers of
both hands
Headquarters(horse racing) another term for Newmarketas the center of English racing
headwork(association football) the directing of the
ballby means of headers; (cycling) smart tactical riding at the startof a sprint race
Hearts(association football) short name of the Scottish clubHeart of Midlothian
heat(general) (1) a single eliminating roundin a
race; (2) a division of a contest in which the winner goes on to a final test [so called because it is
intense or “burning”]
Heat(basketball) short name of the Miami Heat
team
heater(baseball) colloquial term for a fast ball
heavy(horse racing) a category of going
heavy artillery(golf) colloquial term for the driver
heavyweight(boxing) the professional weightcategory of maximum 91kg (201lb)
hecht(g ymnastics) a dismountfrom the horizontal baror asymmetric barsin which the gymnastreleases the bar at the height of a back
swing, sails forward with arms outstretched, and
lands upright on the feet [presumably introduced
by a gymnast named Hecht]
heel(golf) the lowest part of the clubhead; (rugby
league, rugby union) to send the ballout at the
back of the scrumwith the heel
Heineken Cup(rugby union) the cupawarded annually since 1996 to the winner of a competition
for major European clubsand provincial teams
[name of sponsor]
Heisman Trophy(American football) the trophy
awarded annually since 1935 to the outstanding
player in college football[named in honor of
U.S. collegiate football coach John Heisman
(1869–1936)]
helicopter(skiing) an upright aerial spinof 360
degrees
heliskiing(sport) an extreme sportin which a
skieris dropped by helicopter at the top of a
mountain, then skis down to the treeline
Hell of the North(cycling) nickname of the ParisRoubaix race[French l’enfer du nord, “hell of
the north,” from the devastated World War I
landscape through which the courseformerly
ran]
helmsman(sailing) the steersman
Henley(rowing) short name of Henley Royal Regatta
Henley Royal Regatta(rowing) Britain’s oldest regatta, with many prestigious trophies, held annually at Henley-on-Thames, Oxfordshire, since
1839
Hennessy(horse racing) short name of the Hennessy Gold Cup
Hennessy Gold Cup(horse racing) the cup
awarded to the winner of an annual raceat Newbury, first contested in 1957 [name of sponsor]
heptathlete(Olympics) a competitor in a heptathlon
heptathlon(Olympics) a women’s eventconsisting
of seven separate contests held on two consecutive days: 100-meter hurdles, shot put, high
jump, and 200 meterson day one, long jump,
javelin, and 800 meterson day two [Greek
hepta, “seven,” and athlon, “contest”]
Hereford(archery) a round of 72 arrowsat 80yds
(73m), 48 at 60 (55m), and 24 at 50 (46m);
(horse racing) a National Hunt racecoursenear
Hereford, Herefordshire, England
herringboning(skiing) a technique for climbing a
slope in cross-country skiingby which the tips
of the skisare angled outward [they make a
herringbone-like pattern in the snow]
hesitation dribble(basketball) a dribble in which
a player feints to stop before continuing to take
the ballforward [based on hesitation dance,
which has pauses at intervals]
Hexham(horse racing) a National Hunt racecourseat Hexham, Northumberland, England
Hibees(association football) nickname of the Scottish clubHibernian
Hibs(association football) short name of the Scottish clubHibernian
Hickstead(equestrianism) the location in West
Sussex, England, of many showjumpingevents
high bar(g ymnastics) (1) the higher of the two
asymmetric bars; (2) another term for the horizontal bar
high cheese(baseball) colloquial term for a fastball
thrown at the top of or above the strike zone
high dive(swimming) a divefrom a high diving
board
73 head string • high dive
high house(shooting) the higher trapin skeet
high hurdles(athletics) a racein which the hurdles
are 107cm (42in) high
high jump(athletics) a field eventconsisting of a
jumpover a high bar
high post(basketball) an offensive position on the
courtnear the foul circle
high-sticking(ice hockey) an offense in which a
player touches an opponent with the stickabove
shoulder level
high tackle(association football) a tacklein which
the player’s foot is dangerously high, resulting
in a foul
high-toss serve(table tennis) a servein which the
ballis tossed high in the air
highboard(swimming) (of ) a high diving board
Highland games(general) an annual contest held
in the Scottish Highlands with competitions in
sports (including tossing the caberand tug of
war), piping, and traditional dancing
hiking(sailing) a maneuver to keep the boat flat
in the water by which the helmsmanbalances
between the middle of the boat and the side or
sits on the edge of the boat, sometimes leaning
far out
hilt(fencing) the handle of the sword, including
the guard
Hindenburg(kitesurfing) an accident in which the
kite stalls and crashes into an onshore structure
[after the disastrous crash in 1937 of the German dirigible Hindenburg]
hip circle(g ymnastics) a move on the horizontal
baror asymmetric barsin which the gymnast
executes a circle with his hips touching the bar
hiplock(wrestling) a form of cross-buttock
hit(baseball) a strokethat sends the ballinto the
field of play, allowing the batterto reach first
basesafely; (fencing) an accurate contact of the
sword with the target; (general) a strokeor shot
that sends a ballor other missile (as an arrow
in archeryor a roundin shooting) to a target
or simply through the air; (rugby union) another
term for a tackle
hit and giggle(cricket) derisory name for one-day
cricket[pun on slap and tickle, a euphemism for
amorous frolicking, by comparison with a dedicated five-day test match]
hit-and-run(baseball) a maneuver in which the
baserunnerat first basebegins to run as soon as
the pitcherbegins to throw the ball, expecting
the batterto put the ball into play, thus giving
the baserunner more time to advance safely and
force the infieldersto move out of position
hit-in(polo) the hitting of the ballinto the field of
play
hit-out(field hockey) a passawarded to a defending team to restart play after the ballhas been
sent over the goal line(without a goalbeing
scored) by the attacking team
hit the ball twice(cricket) a (possibly inadvertent)
strokeby the batsmanin which he hits the ball
twice and so is out
hit the post(association football) to kick or head the
ballagainst one of the goalposts
hit the wall(athletics) to lose energy suddenly in
long-distancerunning, such as a marathon, so
that it is a physical and psychological struggle to
complete the course
hit wicket(cricket) a strokeby a batsmanin which
he hits the wicketwith his bator a part of his
body and dislodges the bails, so that he is out
hitch and kick(athletics) another term for a hitch
kick
hitch kick(athletics) a style of long jumpin which
the jumper makes two or more strides in the air
before landing feet together
Hitler’s Games (Olympics) a byname for the 1936
Olympic Games, held in Berlin, Germany,
where they were turned to advantage by Hitler as
a showcase to demonstrate his theory of the superiority of the Arian races
hitter(baseball) another term for the batter
hockey(sport) general name in British use for field
hockeyor in North American use for ice hockey
hockey ball(field hockey) the hard white ballwith
which the gameis played
hockey mom(ice hockey) colloquial term for a
mother who dedicates many hours to driving her
children to organized sports activities, especially
hockey games, and to supporting their participation in these, often with a greater degree of
commitment than a soccer mom
hockey stick(field hockey) the long wooden stick
with a curved end with which the ballis struck;
(ice hockey) the long (formerly wooden) stick
with an angled blade with which the puckis
struck
Hockeyroos(field hockey) nickname for the Australian national women’s team [blend of hockey
and Kangaroos]
hodad(surfing) colloquial term for a person who
hangs around surfing beaches but does not surf
[origin uncertain]
hog(curling) a stonethat fails to reach the hog
line
hog line(curling) a line drawn across each end of
the rink, 10m (33ft) from the hackand 6.4m
(21ft) from the tee, which a stonemust cross to
count
hog score(curling) another term for the hog line
hoist(ice hockey) an illegal trapping of an opponent by two players
hold(boxing) a grip of the opponent that prevents
him from throwing punches; (judo, wrestling) a
high house • hold 74
particular manner of gripping and immobilizing the opponent; (mountaineering) shortening
of handholdor foothold
hold-down(judo) a grip in which the opponent is
held down on the ground
hold serve(tennis) to win one’s own service game
hold service(tennis) alternate form of hold serve
hold the throw(darts) to win a legin which one
threw first
hold up(horse racing) the keep a horse toward the
rear of the fieldin a race
holding(American football) the act of illegally
grasping an opponent with the hands; (ice hockey)
the act of illegally grasping an opponent with the
hands or stick
hole(association football) colloquial term for the
space between the midfieldersand the attackerswhere the attacking midfielders play; (baseball) colloquial term for the area of the infield
between shortstopand third base; (golf) (1) the
cylindrical hollow 4
1
⁄4 inches in diameter in
the center of the greeninto which the ball
is played; (2) the distance, or the part of the
game, between the tee and the hole; (3) the
scorefor playing a ball into the hole in the fewest
strokes
hole in one(golf) a shotfrom the teethat sends
the ballstraight into the hole
hole out(cricket) to be caughtby a fielderand so
out; (golf) to play the ballinto the hole
home(association football) in football pools, a
matchwon by a team playing on their home
ground; (baseball) shortening of home plate;
(general) (1) an area where a player is free from
attack; (2) another term for the goal; (3) arrived
at the finishof a race; (golf) on the second nine
holesof the course; (lacrosse) one of the three
players first home, second home, and third
home
home advantage(general) the means used by the
hostsof a sporting contest to gain a tactical advantage over the visitors, as by giving athletes
advance access to venues, arranging competition schedules to suit domestic participants, and
block-booking seats near the finish lineto create a vociferous concentration of supporters
home base(baseball) another term for the home
plate
home brew(Canadian football) a player who is a
native of the city for which his team is named
home game(general) a gameplayed on a team’s
home ground
home ground(general) the groundwhere a team
is normally based
home gym(g ymnastics) an installation of gymnastic equipment in a person’s private home
home plate(baseball) the plateover which the
pitcheraims the balland to which the batter
must return to score a run
home run (baseball) a hitthat goes far enough to
enable the batterto make a complete circuit of
all four bases
home straight(horse racing) the final stretch of a
racecourse, leading to the finish
home stretch(horse racing) another term for the
home straight
home thrust(fencing) a thrustthat reaches the
point where it is aimed
homer(baseball) colloquial term for a home run
Honest Men (association football) nickname of the
Scottish clubAyr United [from Robert Burns’s
description of the town in “Tam o’ Shanter”:
“Auld Ayr, wham ne’er a town surpasses / For
honest men and bonnie lasses”]
honest player(ice hockey) colloquial term for a
player who is equally effective as attackerand
defender
honk(cycling) to pedal while standing up out of
the saddle, as a way to gain greater power or to
rest the legs while making an ascent [perhaps
from honk, “to sound a horn,” as of a driver seeking to power ahead]
honor(golf) the right to play first from the tee
hook(angling) the barbed piece of wire that is attached to the fishing line to carry the bait; (association football) a kick of the ballfrom the
angle of the ankle and boot; (boxing) a swinging
blow with the elbow bent; (cricket) a stroke
played with a horizontal or rising batthat sweeps
the ballto the leg sidebehind the wicket; (general) the curve of a ballin flight; (golf) a mishit
of the ballthat sends it through the air from
right to left (for a right-handed player) or the
converse; (rugby league, rugby union) to obtain
possessionof the ballin the scrumby using the
foot to kick it backward; (surfing) the top part of
a wave
hook shot(basketball) a shotmade by a player
side-on to the basketby curving up the arm farther away from it
hooker(rugby league, rugby union) the forward
who bindsbetween the two propsin a scrum
and who hooksthe ballback
hooking(ice hockey) the offenseof using a stick
as a hook to hinder an opponent
hoop(basketball) the hard circular part of the basketfrom which a net is suspended; (croquet) one
of the metal arches through which the ballmust
pass; (horse racing) one of the bands in contrasting colors on the silksof a jockey
hoops(sport) colloquial term for basketball
Hoops(association football) nickname of the English clubQueens Park Rangers [from the team’s
blue and white hooped shirts]
75 hold-down • Hoops
hop(athletics) the first stage of the triple jump
hop, skip, and jump(athletics) a former term for
the triple jump
hop, step, and jump (athletics) a former term for
the triple jump
horizontal bar(g ymnastics) a steel bar, suspended
on a frame above the ground, used in men’s competition for the rhythmic execution of various
swinging and turning movements
Hornets(association football) nickname of the English club Watford [from the team’s black shirts
with yellow and red trim]; (basketball) short
name of the Charlotte Hornets team; (rugby
league) short name of the English clubRochdale
Hornets
horse(g ymnastics) a leather-covered wooden block
used for vaulting(lengthwise by men, widthwise by women) [its use suggests the feat of
mounting a horse by leaping onto it]
Horse of the Year Show (equestrianism) an annual
competitive eventpresented by the British Show
Jumping Association, first held in 1949 and currently staged at the National Exhibition Centre,
Birmingham
horse race(horse racing) a racebetween horses with
(usually professional) riders, especially as a spectator sportintimately associated with money
and the placing of bets
horse racing(sport) the conducting of horse races
as a competitive sport
horse trials(equestrianism) a general term for a
three-day event
horsebox(horse racing) a road trailer or railcar designed to transport one or more horses
horseman(equestrianism) a person skilled in horsemanship
horsemanship(equestrianism) the art of riding,
training, and managing horses
horsewoman(equestrianism) a woman who rides
horses and is knowledgeable about them
hosel(golf) the socket for the shaftin the clubhead
hospital ball(association football) colloquial term
for a poorly executedpass, so placing the recipient (typically a defenderor the goalkeeper) in
a risky situation
hosts(general) the team who arrange and manage
a matchwith rivals on their home ground
hot corner(baseball) colloquial term for third
base, where the fielderhas little time to react to
ballshit in his direction
hot dog(surfing) (1) a surf boardof above-average
size; (2) a surferwho performs showy maneuvers
on such a board
hot-rod racing(auto racing) the racing of hot rods,
as cars specially modified to give added power
and speed
hotpot(horse racing) colloquial term for a horse
that has been heavily backed
hotshot(baseball) a player renowned for making
accurate shotsat the basket
house(curling) the targetfor the stones, as a set of
three concentric rings on the ice with the teein
the center
how’s that?(cricket) the appealof the fieldingside
to the umpireto declare that the batsmanis out
howzat? (cricket) an alternate spelling of how’s
that?[a representation of the spoken form]
huddle(American football) the gathering together
of a team behind their line of scrimmageto receive instructions before the next play
hull(sailing) the frame or body of a boat
Hull KR(rugby league) short name of the English
clubHull Kingston Rovers
hundred(cricket) a scoreof 100 runs
Hungarian Grand Prix(auto racing) the Formula
One international Grand Prixheld on the Hungaroring circuit near Budapest, Hungary
Huns(association football) a (derogatory) nickname
for the Scottish clubRangers
hunter(horse racing) a horse used for hunting
hunter chase(horse racing) a steeplechasefor amateur riderson hunters
Huntingdon(horse racing) a National Hunt racecourseat Brampton, near Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire, England
hurdle(athletics) one of the barriers which contestants jump in hurdling; (horse racing) (1) one
of the barriers (lighter and lower than a fence)
which horses jump in a steeplechase; (2) a race
with these
hurdler(athletics) an athletegood at hurdles;
(horse racing) a racehorsegood at hurdles
hurdles (athletics, horse racing) a raceover hurdles
hurley(hurling) the wooden broad-bladed stick
used both to hit and to carry the ball
hurling(sport) an Irish gamesimilar to field
hockeyplayed between teams of 15 using hurleys and a hide-covered cork ball [from hurl,
“fling violently”]
Hurlingham Club(polo) the organization responsible for governing polo, first played at this London sporting club in 1874
Hurricanes(ice hockey) short name of the Carolina
Hurricanes team
hurry-up offense(American football) an offensive
strategy in which the minimum time is taken to
huddleand line up between plays
hutch(cricket) colloquial term for the pavilion[as
the place where the players eat and drink, with
an implied pun on rabbit]
hybrid(golf) another term for a utility club
end of the rinkfrom which players can push off;
(general) to kick the shins of another player (illegally); (rugby union) shortening of fly hack
hacker(golf, tennis) colloquial term for a poor
player [who hacks at the ball]
hacking(sport) the riding of a horse in the countryside for recreation
hackle(angling) an artificial flymade of a cock’s
hackle or neck feather
Hacky Sack(sport) proprietary name of a gameof
U.S. origin in which players attempt to kick a
footbag without letting it touch the ground
[from hack, “kick,” and sack]
hail(shinty)(1) a goal; (2) a score[apparently from
hail!, the shout with which the player scored a
goal]
hail Mary (American football) colloquial term for
a high passthrown into the end zoneat the very
end of a game [a desperate move for which a
prayer is needed]
hailkeeper(shinty) a goalkeeper
hairdryer treatment(association football) a berating by a manager of his team for their poor play
[his scolding hits them like a blast of hot air]
hairpin(auto racing) a sharp double bend on the
track[shaped like a hairgrip or bobby pin]; (skiing) two successive vertical gateson a slalom
course
hairy Mary(angling) a kind of artificial fly[from
its appearance]
hajime(judo) the command with which the referee starts a bout[Japanese hajime, “beginning”]
haka(rugby union) the Maori war dance performed
by the All Blacksbefore the start of a match
[Maori haka, “dance”]
half(American football) shortening of half time;
(general) (1) one of the two periods of equal
length into which a gameis divided; (2) one of
the two parts of the field of play either side of
the half way line; (3) shortening of center half,
left half, right half, or half back
half ball(snooker) a strokethat sends the cue ball
against the edge of the object ball
half bisque(croquet) a restricted bisquein which
no point can be scored
half blue(general) a person who is second choice
for a blueor who is chosen to play in a minor
sport such as badmintonor lacrosse
half butt(snooker) a cuelonger than the standard
cue, usually used with a rest
half century(cricket) a scoreof 50 runs; (snooker)
a breakof 50 points
69 guernsey • half century
half cock(cricket) a strokemade by a batsman
that plays the ballneither forward nor back
half-court line(squash) a line on the floor of the
courtthat divides the back of the court into two
half-forward flank(Australian Rules) an attacking
player who plays on the flanknear the 50-meter
arc
half gainer(swimming) a divein which a backflip
is followed by a head-first plunge into the water
facing the board
half-in, half-out(g ymnastics) a move comprising a double salto with a half twiston each
salto
half marathon(athletics) a foot racejust over half
the length of a marathon(13 miles 352 yards,
21.243km)
half mile(athletics) the former equivalent of the
800 meters
half miler(athletics) a runnerspecializing in the
former half mileor present 800 meters
half nelson (wrestling) a nelsonapplied on one side
only, with one of the combatant’s arms under
one of his opponent’s arms
half-one(golf) a handicapof one strokeevery
second hole
half pass(equestrianism) in dressage, a sideways
and forward movement in which the horse
crosses its legs
half-pipe(skateboarding) a U-shaped structure
made of concrete from which boarderslaunch
the boardto perform aerial maneuvers; (snowboarding) a U-shaped channel cut into the snow
from which boarderslaunch the boardto perform aerial maneuvers
half pirouette(equestrianism) a half-circle turn by
the horse with its inside hind foot as a pivot
half roll(croquet) a croquetin which the opposing ball, when struck, travels two or three times
as far as the striker’s ball
half shot(golf) a shotplayed with about half the
usual swing
half strike(tenpin bowling) alternate term for a
spare
half time(general) the interval between the first
halfof a gameand the second
half twist(g ymnastics) a half-rotation of the body
around the spine
half volley(association football) a kick in which
the player’s boot makes contact with the ballas
it begins to bounce up off the ground; (cricket)
a strokeby the batsmanof a ballas it starts to
rise after pitching; (tennis) a shotof the ballimmediately after it bounces
half back(American football) a running backpositioned between the quarterbackand fullback;
(rugby league) either of the players scrum half
and standoff half; (rugby union) either of the
players scrum halfand fly half, providing a link
between the forwardsand the three quarters
half back flank(Australian Rules) a running defenderwho plays on the flank
half way line(association football, rugby league,
rugby union) the line that separates the two equal
halvesof the pitch
halieutics(angling) a formal term for the art of
fishing, especially as the title of a treatise [Greek
halieutes, “fisher,” from hals, “sea”]
Hall of Fame(general) an institution that honors
outstanding figures in the history of a particular
sport, as the BaseballHall of Fame, Cooperstown, New York, the Golf Hall of Fame, St.
Augustine, Florida, and the Pro FootballHall of
Fame, Canton, Ohio
halt!(fencing) a command to stop fencing
halve(golf) to play a holeor matchin the same
number of strokesas one’s opponent
halyard(sailing) a rope used for raising or lowering a sail
ham(boxing) an incompetent boxer
Hambletonian (horse racing) an annual harness
racefor trotters, first held in 1926 at Syracuse,
New York, but now at the Meadowlands racetrack, New Jersey [named for Hambletonian
(foaled 1849), the ancestor of most harness racers]
Hamilton Park (horse racing) a flat racecourseat
Hamilton, central Scotland
hammer(athletics) (1) a heavy metal ballattached
to a long flexible wire which is thrown by being
swung around the thrower’s head and then released; (2) the field eventin which it is thrown
hammerlock(wrestling) a holdin which the opponent’s arm is twisted up behind his back
Hammers(association football) nickname of the
English clubWest Ham United [not directly
from the placename but from the shipbuilding
department of the Thames Ironworks, London,
where workers formed the club in 1895]
Hampden Park(association football) the home
groundin Glasgow, Scotland, of both the Scottish club Queens Park and the national team
Hampden roar(association football) traditional
term describing the vociferous support for the
home or national team at matchesat Hampden
Park
hand(general) a roundor innings
hand line(angling) a fishing linewithout a rod
handbags(association football, rugby union) colloquial term used by radio and TV commentators
for a confrontation between players [from the
concept of a woman’s handbag used to belabor
a rival or opponent]
handball(association football) the offenseof touching or striking the ballwith one’s hand; (Aushalf cock • handball 70
tralian Rules) the act of passing the ballby holding it in one hand and striking it with the fist of
the other; (sport) (1) a gamewith seven players
a side played on an indoor courtbetween goals
in which the ball is struck with the palm of the
hand; (2) a game similar to fivesin which a ball
is struck with the gloved hand against a wall
handcycle(cycling) a hand-cranked tricycle used
in races by disabled riders
handhold(mountaineering) a projection or other
feature that one can grasp while climbing
handicap(general) a raceor competition in which
an inferior competitor’s chances are improved by
some means, as being given a head start; (golf)
the number of strokesby which a player’s average scoreexceeds parfor the course, this number being subtracted from the player’s score in
strokeplaycompetitions; (horse racing) a race in
which each horse carries a weightdetermined by
its handicap markin order to equalize its chances
against other runners; (polo) a value assigned to
each player based on previous performances [apparently from hand i’ cap (“hand in the cap”),
from a game of chance in which a hand drawn
out of a cap holds either something or nothing]
handicap mark(horse racing) the assessment of a
horse’s form, expressed as a figure between 0 and
140 and used as the basis for calculating the
weightit carries in a handicap
handicap race(horse racing) a racerun as a handicap
handicapper(horse racing) (1) an official who assigns
a handicapto a horse; (2) a horse running in a
handicap race
handin(badminton, real tennis, squash) the player
whose side has the service
handle(association football) to commit the offense
of handball; (horse racing) the total takings from
betsplaced on a race
handled the ball(cricket) the offensecommitted
by a batsmanwho deliberately touches the ball
with a hand not holding the bat, as a result of
which he is out
handler(boxing) a person who trains and acts as a
secondto a boxer; (horse racing) another term for
a trainer
handling game(rugby union) play in which the
ballis primarily advanced by being handled, as
against a kicking game
handoff(American football) the passing of the ball
from the quarterbackto a running back; (rugby
league, rugby union) a {legal) move in which a
player with the ballpushes away an opponent
handout(badminton, real tennis, squash) (1) the
player whose side is receiving the service; (2) the
situation when the first player on the serving side
loses his service
handover(athletics) the passing of the batonfrom
one runner to another in a relay race; (rugby
league) the change in possessionafter the sixth
tackle
handpass(Australian Rules) another term for a
handball
handplant(snowboarding) a move in which a
boarderplants one or both hands on the rim of
the halfpipeto pivot into a turn
hands(association football) alternate term for
handball
hands and heels(horse racing) riding without the
use of a whip [using the hands and heels only to
direct and encourage the horse]
handsling(cycling) a method used to change places
in the madison, by which teammates grip hands,
then release the grip, so that one ridercan propel the other forward
handspring(g ymnastics) a movement in which the
gymnastmoves forward or backward onto his
hands from a standing position, then completes
a somersault, landing on his feet.
handstand(g ymnastics) a move in which the gymnast supports his body vertically on his hands
in an upside-down position
handy(horse racing) in a prominent position in a
race
hang(horse racing) to veer to one side while running
hang a left(skiing) to turn to the left
hang a right(skiing) to turn to the right
hang five(surfing) to have the five toes of one foot
projecting over the nose of the board, usually to
gain speed
hang-glider(hang-gliding) the light engineless aircraft used in hang-gliding
hang-gliding(sport) a sport in which the participant glides from a height such as a clifftop hanging in a harness from a hang-glider, which he
controls by shifting his body weight in opposition to the control frame
hang ten(surfing) to have the ten toes of both feet
projecting over the nose of the board, usually to
gain speed
hang up one’s boots(association football) to retire
from the sport
hang up one’s gloves(boxing) to retire from the
sport
hanging lie(golf) the position of the ballwhen it
is resting on a slope
hangtime(American football) the time that a
kicked ballremains in the air; (basketball) the
time a player is able to remain in the air when
shooting or jumping for the ball
Har-Tru(tennis) proprietary name of an artificial
surface for tennis courts, made from crushed
greenstone [combination of hardand true]
71 handcycle • Har-Tru
harbor race(sailing) a racearound a course marked
out by buoys, often in several laps
hard(horse racing) a category of going
hard court(tennis) a courtlaid with clay, cement,
or the like, as distinct from a grass court
hardball(sport) another term for baseball[as
against softball]
hare(athletics) another term for a pacemaker[he
sets the pace, like the artificial hare or lure in
greyhound racing]
hare and hounds (general) a race in which a
runnerwith a head start (the hare) leaves a trail
for the others (the hounds) to follow; (motorcycle racing) a form of endurowith no checkpoints
harl(angling) a type of artificial fly[made from a
harl, the barb of a feather]
Harmsworth Cup(powerboat racing) the cup
awarded to the winner of an international race
for boats under 40ft (12m) in length [presented
in 1903 by Sir Alfred Harmsworth (1865–1922),
later Lord Northcliffe]
harness race(horse racing) a race between trotters
or pacersharnessed to sulkies
harness racing(horse racing) the staging of harness racesas a sporting contest
harriers(athletics) in cross-country running, a
group or club of participants in the sport [with
Harriers often part of their name]
Harriers(association football) short name of the
English clubKidderminster Harriers
Harrow drive(cricket) another term for a Chinese
cut[presumably from Harrow School]
Harry Sunderland Trophy(rugby league) the trophyawarded since 1965 to the man of the match
in the Super League Grand Final[named in
commemoration of Australian tour manager
Harry Sunderland (1890–1964)]
Harry Wraggs (association football) nickname of
the Scottish clubPartick Thistle [rhyming slang
for the more common nickname Jags, from the
English jockeyHarry Wragg (1902–1985)]
Hart Memorial Trophy(ice hockey) the trophy
awarded annually to the Most Valuable Player
[named for Cecil Hart, manager of the Montreal Canadiens 1926–39]
hash marks(American football) the marks at intervals of one yard that run the length of the field,
the two sets of such marks on the gridiron
marking the furthest distance from the center of
the field at which the ballcan be placed to restart
play [so called from their resemblance to hash
marks, “military service stripes”]
hat trick(association football) the scoring of three
goalsby the same player in a single match;
(cricket) the feat of taking three wicketswith
consecutive balls; (general) three successes of
any kind in any sport [so called as deserving the
award of a new hat]
Hatters(association football) nicknames of the English clubsLuton Town and Stockport County
[from the hat-manufacturing industry in each
town]
haul(cricket) a good number of wicketstaken by
a bowlerin a match [as if loot in a robbery]
haute école(equestrianism) a group term for the
more difficult feats of horsemanship[French
haute école, “high school”]
have the mount(horse racing) to ride a particular
horse in a race
Hawk-Eye(general) proprietary name of a computer program that uses high-speed video cameras around a tennis courtor cricket ground
to create a 3D image of the ballas it moves and
calculate the path it would have taken [invented
by Paul Hawkins as an aid to radio and TV commentators]
Hawks(Australian Rules) short name of the
Hawthorn Hawks team; (basketball) short name
of the Atlanta Hawks team; (rugby league) short
name of the English clubHunslet Hawks
Haydock Park(horse racing) a flatand National
Hunt racecoursenear Ashton-in-Makerfield,
northwestern England
haymaker(boxing) colloquial term for a wild
swinging punch; (cricket) colloquial term for a
sweeping strokewith the bat [suggestive of a
sweeping scythe in haymaking]
hazard(billiards, snooker) a strokein which one
of the ballsgoes into a pocketas either a winning hazardora lozing hazard; (fives) a feature
of a courtthat affects the behavior of a ball
played on to it, as the pepperboxin Eton fives;
(golf) an obstacle in the form of a bunkeror
water hazard; (real tennis) any of the openings
or galleriesaround the courtthat are not winning openings
hazard side (real tennis) the half of the courtinto
which the ballis served
head(bowls) the grouping of bowlsaround the
jack; (greyhound racing) the length of a greyhound’s head, used to describe the distance between two dogs at the finish; (horse racing) the
length of a horse’s head, used to describe the distance between two runnersat the finish
Head of the River(rowing) the title given the crew
finishing first in the bumping racesat Oxford
and Cambridge
Head of the River Race(rowing) an annualracefor
eightsover the reverse Boat Racecourse, first
held in 1926
head pin(tenpin bowling) the frontmost pinin the
triangular arrangement
head start(general) an advantage given to a conharbor • head start 72
testant at the startof a race[in horse racing
that of a horse in front of others by the length of
a head]
head string(pool) a line a quarter the length of the
tablefrom the top, behind which a player must
make any break
header(association football) a passor shotat goal
made by directing the ballwith the head
headhunter(baseball) colloquial term for a pitcher
who throws bean balls; (ice hockey) a player who
by physical means in this contact sport aims
with others to remove star oppositionplayers
from the game
Headingley(cricket) the home groundof Yorkshire county cricket club, Leeds
headless spin(ice skating) a spinlike the upright
spinbut with the head tilted away
headlock(wrestling) a hold in which a combatant
puts his arms around his opponent’s head and
tightens his grip by interlocking the fingers of
both hands
Headquarters(horse racing) another term for Newmarketas the center of English racing
headwork(association football) the directing of the
ballby means of headers; (cycling) smart tactical riding at the startof a sprint race
Hearts(association football) short name of the Scottish clubHeart of Midlothian
heat(general) (1) a single eliminating roundin a
race; (2) a division of a contest in which the winner goes on to a final test [so called because it is
intense or “burning”]
Heat(basketball) short name of the Miami Heat
team
heater(baseball) colloquial term for a fast ball
heavy(horse racing) a category of going
heavy artillery(golf) colloquial term for the driver
heavyweight(boxing) the professional weightcategory of maximum 91kg (201lb)
hecht(g ymnastics) a dismountfrom the horizontal baror asymmetric barsin which the gymnastreleases the bar at the height of a back
swing, sails forward with arms outstretched, and
lands upright on the feet [presumably introduced
by a gymnast named Hecht]
heel(golf) the lowest part of the clubhead; (rugby
league, rugby union) to send the ballout at the
back of the scrumwith the heel
Heineken Cup(rugby union) the cupawarded annually since 1996 to the winner of a competition
for major European clubsand provincial teams
[name of sponsor]
Heisman Trophy(American football) the trophy
awarded annually since 1935 to the outstanding
player in college football[named in honor of
U.S. collegiate football coach John Heisman
(1869–1936)]
helicopter(skiing) an upright aerial spinof 360
degrees
heliskiing(sport) an extreme sportin which a
skieris dropped by helicopter at the top of a
mountain, then skis down to the treeline
Hell of the North(cycling) nickname of the ParisRoubaix race[French l’enfer du nord, “hell of
the north,” from the devastated World War I
landscape through which the courseformerly
ran]
helmsman(sailing) the steersman
Henley(rowing) short name of Henley Royal Regatta
Henley Royal Regatta(rowing) Britain’s oldest regatta, with many prestigious trophies, held annually at Henley-on-Thames, Oxfordshire, since
1839
Hennessy(horse racing) short name of the Hennessy Gold Cup
Hennessy Gold Cup(horse racing) the cup
awarded to the winner of an annual raceat Newbury, first contested in 1957 [name of sponsor]
heptathlete(Olympics) a competitor in a heptathlon
heptathlon(Olympics) a women’s eventconsisting
of seven separate contests held on two consecutive days: 100-meter hurdles, shot put, high
jump, and 200 meterson day one, long jump,
javelin, and 800 meterson day two [Greek
hepta, “seven,” and athlon, “contest”]
Hereford(archery) a round of 72 arrowsat 80yds
(73m), 48 at 60 (55m), and 24 at 50 (46m);
(horse racing) a National Hunt racecoursenear
Hereford, Herefordshire, England
herringboning(skiing) a technique for climbing a
slope in cross-country skiingby which the tips
of the skisare angled outward [they make a
herringbone-like pattern in the snow]
hesitation dribble(basketball) a dribble in which
a player feints to stop before continuing to take
the ballforward [based on hesitation dance,
which has pauses at intervals]
Hexham(horse racing) a National Hunt racecourseat Hexham, Northumberland, England
Hibees(association football) nickname of the Scottish clubHibernian
Hibs(association football) short name of the Scottish clubHibernian
Hickstead(equestrianism) the location in West
Sussex, England, of many showjumpingevents
high bar(g ymnastics) (1) the higher of the two
asymmetric bars; (2) another term for the horizontal bar
high cheese(baseball) colloquial term for a fastball
thrown at the top of or above the strike zone
high dive(swimming) a divefrom a high diving
board
73 head string • high dive
high house(shooting) the higher trapin skeet
high hurdles(athletics) a racein which the hurdles
are 107cm (42in) high
high jump(athletics) a field eventconsisting of a
jumpover a high bar
high post(basketball) an offensive position on the
courtnear the foul circle
high-sticking(ice hockey) an offense in which a
player touches an opponent with the stickabove
shoulder level
high tackle(association football) a tacklein which
the player’s foot is dangerously high, resulting
in a foul
high-toss serve(table tennis) a servein which the
ballis tossed high in the air
highboard(swimming) (of ) a high diving board
Highland games(general) an annual contest held
in the Scottish Highlands with competitions in
sports (including tossing the caberand tug of
war), piping, and traditional dancing
hiking(sailing) a maneuver to keep the boat flat
in the water by which the helmsmanbalances
between the middle of the boat and the side or
sits on the edge of the boat, sometimes leaning
far out
hilt(fencing) the handle of the sword, including
the guard
Hindenburg(kitesurfing) an accident in which the
kite stalls and crashes into an onshore structure
[after the disastrous crash in 1937 of the German dirigible Hindenburg]
hip circle(g ymnastics) a move on the horizontal
baror asymmetric barsin which the gymnast
executes a circle with his hips touching the bar
hiplock(wrestling) a form of cross-buttock
hit(baseball) a strokethat sends the ballinto the
field of play, allowing the batterto reach first
basesafely; (fencing) an accurate contact of the
sword with the target; (general) a strokeor shot
that sends a ballor other missile (as an arrow
in archeryor a roundin shooting) to a target
or simply through the air; (rugby union) another
term for a tackle
hit and giggle(cricket) derisory name for one-day
cricket[pun on slap and tickle, a euphemism for
amorous frolicking, by comparison with a dedicated five-day test match]
hit-and-run(baseball) a maneuver in which the
baserunnerat first basebegins to run as soon as
the pitcherbegins to throw the ball, expecting
the batterto put the ball into play, thus giving
the baserunner more time to advance safely and
force the infieldersto move out of position
hit-in(polo) the hitting of the ballinto the field of
play
hit-out(field hockey) a passawarded to a defending team to restart play after the ballhas been
sent over the goal line(without a goalbeing
scored) by the attacking team
hit the ball twice(cricket) a (possibly inadvertent)
strokeby the batsmanin which he hits the ball
twice and so is out
hit the post(association football) to kick or head the
ballagainst one of the goalposts
hit the wall(athletics) to lose energy suddenly in
long-distancerunning, such as a marathon, so
that it is a physical and psychological struggle to
complete the course
hit wicket(cricket) a strokeby a batsmanin which
he hits the wicketwith his bator a part of his
body and dislodges the bails, so that he is out
hitch and kick(athletics) another term for a hitch
kick
hitch kick(athletics) a style of long jumpin which
the jumper makes two or more strides in the air
before landing feet together
Hitler’s Games (Olympics) a byname for the 1936
Olympic Games, held in Berlin, Germany,
where they were turned to advantage by Hitler as
a showcase to demonstrate his theory of the superiority of the Arian races
hitter(baseball) another term for the batter
hockey(sport) general name in British use for field
hockeyor in North American use for ice hockey
hockey ball(field hockey) the hard white ballwith
which the gameis played
hockey mom(ice hockey) colloquial term for a
mother who dedicates many hours to driving her
children to organized sports activities, especially
hockey games, and to supporting their participation in these, often with a greater degree of
commitment than a soccer mom
hockey stick(field hockey) the long wooden stick
with a curved end with which the ballis struck;
(ice hockey) the long (formerly wooden) stick
with an angled blade with which the puckis
struck
Hockeyroos(field hockey) nickname for the Australian national women’s team [blend of hockey
and Kangaroos]
hodad(surfing) colloquial term for a person who
hangs around surfing beaches but does not surf
[origin uncertain]
hog(curling) a stonethat fails to reach the hog
line
hog line(curling) a line drawn across each end of
the rink, 10m (33ft) from the hackand 6.4m
(21ft) from the tee, which a stonemust cross to
count
hog score(curling) another term for the hog line
hoist(ice hockey) an illegal trapping of an opponent by two players
hold(boxing) a grip of the opponent that prevents
him from throwing punches; (judo, wrestling) a
high house • hold 74
particular manner of gripping and immobilizing the opponent; (mountaineering) shortening
of handholdor foothold
hold-down(judo) a grip in which the opponent is
held down on the ground
hold serve(tennis) to win one’s own service game
hold service(tennis) alternate form of hold serve
hold the throw(darts) to win a legin which one
threw first
hold up(horse racing) the keep a horse toward the
rear of the fieldin a race
holding(American football) the act of illegally
grasping an opponent with the hands; (ice hockey)
the act of illegally grasping an opponent with the
hands or stick
hole(association football) colloquial term for the
space between the midfieldersand the attackerswhere the attacking midfielders play; (baseball) colloquial term for the area of the infield
between shortstopand third base; (golf) (1) the
cylindrical hollow 4
1
⁄4 inches in diameter in
the center of the greeninto which the ball
is played; (2) the distance, or the part of the
game, between the tee and the hole; (3) the
scorefor playing a ball into the hole in the fewest
strokes
hole in one(golf) a shotfrom the teethat sends
the ballstraight into the hole
hole out(cricket) to be caughtby a fielderand so
out; (golf) to play the ballinto the hole
home(association football) in football pools, a
matchwon by a team playing on their home
ground; (baseball) shortening of home plate;
(general) (1) an area where a player is free from
attack; (2) another term for the goal; (3) arrived
at the finishof a race; (golf) on the second nine
holesof the course; (lacrosse) one of the three
players first home, second home, and third
home
home advantage(general) the means used by the
hostsof a sporting contest to gain a tactical advantage over the visitors, as by giving athletes
advance access to venues, arranging competition schedules to suit domestic participants, and
block-booking seats near the finish lineto create a vociferous concentration of supporters
home base(baseball) another term for the home
plate
home brew(Canadian football) a player who is a
native of the city for which his team is named
home game(general) a gameplayed on a team’s
home ground
home ground(general) the groundwhere a team
is normally based
home gym(g ymnastics) an installation of gymnastic equipment in a person’s private home
home plate(baseball) the plateover which the
pitcheraims the balland to which the batter
must return to score a run
home run (baseball) a hitthat goes far enough to
enable the batterto make a complete circuit of
all four bases
home straight(horse racing) the final stretch of a
racecourse, leading to the finish
home stretch(horse racing) another term for the
home straight
home thrust(fencing) a thrustthat reaches the
point where it is aimed
homer(baseball) colloquial term for a home run
Honest Men (association football) nickname of the
Scottish clubAyr United [from Robert Burns’s
description of the town in “Tam o’ Shanter”:
“Auld Ayr, wham ne’er a town surpasses / For
honest men and bonnie lasses”]
honest player(ice hockey) colloquial term for a
player who is equally effective as attackerand
defender
honk(cycling) to pedal while standing up out of
the saddle, as a way to gain greater power or to
rest the legs while making an ascent [perhaps
from honk, “to sound a horn,” as of a driver seeking to power ahead]
honor(golf) the right to play first from the tee
hook(angling) the barbed piece of wire that is attached to the fishing line to carry the bait; (association football) a kick of the ballfrom the
angle of the ankle and boot; (boxing) a swinging
blow with the elbow bent; (cricket) a stroke
played with a horizontal or rising batthat sweeps
the ballto the leg sidebehind the wicket; (general) the curve of a ballin flight; (golf) a mishit
of the ballthat sends it through the air from
right to left (for a right-handed player) or the
converse; (rugby league, rugby union) to obtain
possessionof the ballin the scrumby using the
foot to kick it backward; (surfing) the top part of
a wave
hook shot(basketball) a shotmade by a player
side-on to the basketby curving up the arm farther away from it
hooker(rugby league, rugby union) the forward
who bindsbetween the two propsin a scrum
and who hooksthe ballback
hooking(ice hockey) the offenseof using a stick
as a hook to hinder an opponent
hoop(basketball) the hard circular part of the basketfrom which a net is suspended; (croquet) one
of the metal arches through which the ballmust
pass; (horse racing) one of the bands in contrasting colors on the silksof a jockey
hoops(sport) colloquial term for basketball
Hoops(association football) nickname of the English clubQueens Park Rangers [from the team’s
blue and white hooped shirts]
75 hold-down • Hoops
hop(athletics) the first stage of the triple jump
hop, skip, and jump(athletics) a former term for
the triple jump
hop, step, and jump (athletics) a former term for
the triple jump
horizontal bar(g ymnastics) a steel bar, suspended
on a frame above the ground, used in men’s competition for the rhythmic execution of various
swinging and turning movements
Hornets(association football) nickname of the English club Watford [from the team’s black shirts
with yellow and red trim]; (basketball) short
name of the Charlotte Hornets team; (rugby
league) short name of the English clubRochdale
Hornets
horse(g ymnastics) a leather-covered wooden block
used for vaulting(lengthwise by men, widthwise by women) [its use suggests the feat of
mounting a horse by leaping onto it]
Horse of the Year Show (equestrianism) an annual
competitive eventpresented by the British Show
Jumping Association, first held in 1949 and currently staged at the National Exhibition Centre,
Birmingham
horse race(horse racing) a racebetween horses with
(usually professional) riders, especially as a spectator sportintimately associated with money
and the placing of bets
horse racing(sport) the conducting of horse races
as a competitive sport
horse trials(equestrianism) a general term for a
three-day event
horsebox(horse racing) a road trailer or railcar designed to transport one or more horses
horseman(equestrianism) a person skilled in horsemanship
horsemanship(equestrianism) the art of riding,
training, and managing horses
horsewoman(equestrianism) a woman who rides
horses and is knowledgeable about them
hosel(golf) the socket for the shaftin the clubhead
hospital ball(association football) colloquial term
for a poorly executedpass, so placing the recipient (typically a defenderor the goalkeeper) in
a risky situation
hosts(general) the team who arrange and manage
a matchwith rivals on their home ground
hot corner(baseball) colloquial term for third
base, where the fielderhas little time to react to
ballshit in his direction
hot dog(surfing) (1) a surf boardof above-average
size; (2) a surferwho performs showy maneuvers
on such a board
hot-rod racing(auto racing) the racing of hot rods,
as cars specially modified to give added power
and speed
hotpot(horse racing) colloquial term for a horse
that has been heavily backed
hotshot(baseball) a player renowned for making
accurate shotsat the basket
house(curling) the targetfor the stones, as a set of
three concentric rings on the ice with the teein
the center
how’s that?(cricket) the appealof the fieldingside
to the umpireto declare that the batsmanis out
howzat? (cricket) an alternate spelling of how’s
that?[a representation of the spoken form]
huddle(American football) the gathering together
of a team behind their line of scrimmageto receive instructions before the next play
hull(sailing) the frame or body of a boat
Hull KR(rugby league) short name of the English
clubHull Kingston Rovers
hundred(cricket) a scoreof 100 runs
Hungarian Grand Prix(auto racing) the Formula
One international Grand Prixheld on the Hungaroring circuit near Budapest, Hungary
Huns(association football) a (derogatory) nickname
for the Scottish clubRangers
hunter(horse racing) a horse used for hunting
hunter chase(horse racing) a steeplechasefor amateur riderson hunters
Huntingdon(horse racing) a National Hunt racecourseat Brampton, near Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire, England
hurdle(athletics) one of the barriers which contestants jump in hurdling; (horse racing) (1) one
of the barriers (lighter and lower than a fence)
which horses jump in a steeplechase; (2) a race
with these
hurdler(athletics) an athletegood at hurdles;
(horse racing) a racehorsegood at hurdles
hurdles (athletics, horse racing) a raceover hurdles
hurley(hurling) the wooden broad-bladed stick
used both to hit and to carry the ball
hurling(sport) an Irish gamesimilar to field
hockeyplayed between teams of 15 using hurleys and a hide-covered cork ball [from hurl,
“fling violently”]
Hurlingham Club(polo) the organization responsible for governing polo, first played at this London sporting club in 1874
Hurricanes(ice hockey) short name of the Carolina
Hurricanes team
hurry-up offense(American football) an offensive
strategy in which the minimum time is taken to
huddleand line up between plays
hutch(cricket) colloquial term for the pavilion[as
the place where the players eat and drink, with
an implied pun on rabbit]
hybrid(golf) another term for a utility club
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