batriarchy

In its early days, T20 cricket had room for bowlers, be it through hard pitches that set fast bowlers' eyes alight or turners that saw spinners display their skills to the fullest. In today's world, the format has evolved so much that bowlers have almost zero say on the result of the games. The ongoing 2024 edition of the Indian Premier League is a prime example of how the format has become a 'batriarchy'.

2024 April 30, Ongama Gcwabe, “IPL 'batriarchy' robbing cricket fans of fair contests”, in Independent Online, retrieved 2024-01-08:

In the short term, at least, the batriarchy will probably be overthrown at some point. Totals will drop as the surfaces begin to wear later in the tournament.

2024 April 30, Jonathan Liew, “IPL's age of carnage may relent but cricket’s future can be seen amid the content”, in Guardian, retrieved 2024-01-08:

(cricket, humorous) A power structure which favours batters over bowlers.


enin to rouf

(gambling, costermongers) An odds of 9:4.


net and rouf

(gambling, costermongers) An odds of 14:1.


neves to rouf

(gambling, costermongers) An odds of 7:4.


pitcher's mound

en-noun

pitcher's mound (plural pitcher's mounds)


Aslanlar

(sports, chiefly soccer) Galatasaray S.K.


the D

(soccer) Synonym of semicircle (“an arc whose center is the penalty spot, extending from the top of the penalty area”).


bar point

(backgammon) The player's seventh point on the board.


LGS

(gaming, card games) Initialism of local game store.


big pocket

(snooker) A situation where a ball is lying close to a pocket, such that another ball being potted into that pocket may go in either directly or off the first ball, creating a wider margin of error than normal, and hence the illusion that the pocket is bigger than normal.


blind pocket

(snooker) A pocket that is not in the player's line of sight as he or she is cueing to pot a ball into that pocket.


A formation

An arbitrary name, not related to the shape of the letter A.

(American football) A variation of the single-wing formation, differing in placing the quarterback further back from the line and closer to the center, and placing the backfield opposite the "strong" side of the unbalanced line.


deaggro

en-verb

deaggro (third-person singular simple present deaggros or deaggroes, present participle deaggroing, simple past and past participle deaggroed)

deaggros (present singular third-person)
deaggroes (present singular third-person)
deaggroing (participle present)
deaggroed (participle past)
deaggroed (past)
de-aggro (alternative)

Egotistical mage (aren't they all?) intentionally frostbolts a spectator. While we watched, he ran to the doorway where they would emerge and died a quick death at their hands. Then they deaggro'd and went back upstairs.

2006 November 3, AlphaWoolf, “Re: 5 hours in UBRS and all I got was this lousy Beaststalker ...”, in alt.games.warcraft (Usenet):

I found with lvl 66-67 mobs, I could get within 8 yards (the range where shoot turns red for being too close) without aggro. If a mob did aggro (and was a melee mob, not tried casters yet), just hopping high enough that I'm out of melee range causes it to deaggro.

2007 January 10, Catriona R, “Flying mounts and aggro”, in alt.games.warcraft (Usenet):

The druid works particularly well since you don't have to shift out of Flight Form to herb if you can low enough, so if I aggro something while picking the herb I just fly up until it deaggros, then fly back down when it walks off.

2008 March 4, mbg...@gmail.com, “Re: Imbued netherweave”, in alt.games.warcraft (Usenet):

If things are going bad, you can even run away and wait for the monster(s) to de-aggro.

2018 July 16, GamerGuides.com, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild – Strategy Guide, Gamer Guides, →ISBN:

(intransitive, gaming) To become no longer aggressive towards the player's character.

Now I'm left with a mob that they have tagged, but with enough DoTs on it that I've got aggro. They usually want ME to have to kill the thing so that they can come back and loot it. I don't care how much extra time it takes me; in this scenario I ALWAYS run until I deaggro the the^([sic]) thing.

2007 April 17, Mike Gaskins, “Re: Am I just getting old?”, in alt.games.warcraft (Usenet):

It's probably best to hide a bit and de-aggro him unless you can shoot him through the bars. The gate here can be unlocked if you've invested into lockpicking as it is an [ Advanced ] lock. There are also some Bobby Pins near the gate you should pick up regardless.

2015 December 16, GamerGuides.com, Fallout 4 – Strategy Guide, Gamer Guides, →ISBN:

Leaving the boss chamber had always been enough to deaggro the boss before now. Panic surged within me as things turned grimmer by the second... “Damn it all!” Our attempts to shake the demon weren't working. As a result, Jin was still playing rearguard to protect us. If he were alone[…]

2021 April 7, Udon Kamono, Mapping: The Trash-Tier Skill That Got Me Into a Top-Tier Party: Volume 4, J-Novel Club, →ISBN:

But it should be noted that while ordinary bears will not attack players with the torch equipped, Elden Rings Runebears will still trample the player and are unaffected by the torch’s unique ability. Moreover, if the player gets too comfortable around affected beasts, they may still attack. In this instance, players need only unequip and equip it again to de-aggro' the beast.

2022 May 24, Jared Stewart, “Elden Ring Clip is Reminder that Torches Are More Useful Than You May Realize”, in Game Rant:

Remember you can climb on ladders to de-aggro enemies. Past these foes, head north. Near the end, there's a blockade of three foes, including one elite. Likewise, you can challenge them or run past them towards the nearby ladder. No matter which route[…]

2022 August 26, GamerGuides.com, Xenoblade Chronicles 3 – Strategy Guide, Gamer Guides, →ISBN:

(transitive, gaming) To cause (a non-player character) to become no longer aggressive towards the player's character.


penny-in-the-slot machine

en-noun

penny-in-the-slot machine (plural penny-in-the-slot machines)

(gambling) A slot machine that uses pennies as its denomination, or credit value, for each play.


big Dick

Big Dick is a tough point to make, and if you want to, you can bet some more money at two-to-one odds that you'll make it.

1952, Collier's: Incorporating Features of the American Magazine, page 45:

big Dick from Boston
big Dick from Boston#English

(gambling, dice games) Synonym of big Dick from Boston.


bare king

(chess) A situation in which a king is the only piece remaining for its player.


passing pocket

(American football) Synonym of pocket (“The area behind the line of scrimmage subject to certain rules regarding intentional grounding”).


draft lottery

(US, sports) A lottery process that determines the order in which members of a professional sports league can select eligible players, such as

(US, basketball) The lottery process that determines the order in which in the teams in the National Basketball Association that did not reach the playoffs in the preceding year select eligible players.


opening move

(games) A move that is used to start a game such as chess.


Brokelona

Blend of broke + Barcelona, in reference to the club's financial situation.

(soccer, slang, humorous) Barcelona F.C.


pawn grabbing

/ˈpɔːnˌɡɹæbɪŋ/

... Pawn grabbing is the phrase used to describe the mistake of taking too much time away from your development in order to win a pawn. Chess players speak of a “poisoned” pawn, indicating that the time spent in capturing it is not worth[…]

2010 July 8, James Eade, Chess Openings For Dummies, John Wiley & Sons, →ISBN, page 334:

The pawn isn't worth the tempos that you spend moving your piece(s) away from the action. Violations. however has no place in the King's Gambit and combined with some questionable pawn grabbing leads to a quick[…]

2012, Joel Johnson, Formation Attack Strategies, Lulu.com, →ISBN, page 123:

(informal, chess) playstyle where a player prioritizes capturing opponents' pawns rather than focusing on overall strategy or victory conditions. Often seen as a beginner's mistake or an overly aggressive, short-sighted approach


long whist

(card games) A game for four players in two partnerships, where a game is won by scoring nine or ten odd tricks.


short whist

(card games) A variation of the game whist that uses a five-point game limit and in which two partnerships of four players compete to win the most tricks.


backstopper

(baseball) Synonym of backstop (“catcher”).


accelerated dragon

accelerated dragon (plural accelerated dragons)

(chess) A variation of the Sicilian Defence opening in which black plays g6 on the fourth move, allowing the bishop to be fianchettoed to Bg7.


WooHoo

en-verb

WooHoo (third-person singular simple present WooHoos, present participle WooHooing, simple past and past participle WooHooed)

WooHoos (present singular third-person)
WooHooing (participle present)
WooHooed (participle past)
WooHooed (past)
woohoo (alternative)
Woohoo (alternative)

At some point I discovered real romance novels, the ones with all the euphemisms and graphic bits rather than WooHooing and ambiguously ruffling sheets, and moved on from the lurid stories of my sim families. My love for the series lives on though my interest in making my sims get it on has waned. Later installments have introduced public WooHooing, time travel sex, and the ability to seduce the Grim Reaper, […]

2016 April 8, Melissa Brinks, “Makin’ WooHoo: The Sims and My Sexual Awakening”, in Women Write About Comics:

Ok, I have two female sims who are roommates and I made them WooHoo because why not. […] So then I assumed since my sim was already pregnant WooHoo'ing again would be fine, but then after this my second sim has started throwing up.

2017 April 25, “TWO PREGNANT LESBIAN”, in The Sims 4 General Discussion:

(gaming, euphemistic, transitive, intransitive) To engage in sexual intercourse, especially as referenced in The Sims video game series.


WooHoo

WooHoos (plural)
woohoo (alternative)
Woohoo (alternative)

[…] while I may no longer be interested, The Sims is still likely introducing legions of curious teens and pre-teens safely to the strangeness of the ambiguous WooHoo.

The Sims 4 has had 1.8 Billion Woohoos

2023 April 28, “Some stats from the Sims 4 - How many times have your sims woohooed?”, in Reddit: Sims4:

(gaming, euphemistic) The game mechanic above, often accompanied by suggestive animations but without explicit depiction.


Power Four

(American football) The four college football conferences (ACC, Big Ten, Big 12 and SEC) that currently contain the strongest programs, and whose champions are guaranteed berths in the College Football Playoff.


Slippery Sam

(card games, gambling) A gambling game for at least three players that involves beating the dealer's card with a higher card.


low block

Lukas Jensen replaced Roberts. The game restarted with an empty feeling around the ground.[…]So much for planning. A man down, Millwall sank back into a low block. Palace had all of the ball and all of the grass, generating a series of close-range scuffles and last-line wrestling matches.

2025 January 3, Barney Ronay, “Crystal Palace through after Millwall keeper’s red for head-high tackle on Mateta”, in The Guardian:


filthy casual

(gaming, slang, somewhat derogatory) Playing or partaking in video games casually, without the intense skill or dedication.


genuine number eleven

en-noun

genuine number eleven (plural genuine number elevens)


Loyd's paradox

(games, geometry) A paradox highlighting the slight changes in the arrangement of tangram pieces that lead to different visual perceptions and leading one to to believe that a piece is missing or extra.


pick 'em

pick 'ems (plural)
pick'em (alternative)
pick (alternative)
PK (alternative)

How do I not take New York? It's a pick 'em here, and even if Dallas becomes a slight favorite, they're a terrible home chalk team.

2016 September 10, Colin Cowherd, The Herd with Colin Cowherd (television production), via Fox Sports 1:

(gambling, sports) An evenly matched game, bout, or event where there is no favorite or underdog.


find the gap

en-verb

find the gap (third-person singular simple present finds the gap, present participle finding the gap, simple past and past participle found the gap)

finds the gap (present singular third-person)
finding the gap (participle present)
found the gap (participle past)
found the gap (past)
find the gaps (alternative)

(cricket) To play a shot or shots along the ground, in the spaces between fielders.


find the gaps

find the gaps (third-person singular simple present finds the gaps, present participle finding the gaps, simple past and past participle found the gaps)

finds the gaps (present singular third-person)
finding the gaps (participle present)
found the gaps (participle past)
found the gaps (past)

(cricket) Alternative form of find the gap.


royal casino

(card games) A variant of the game of casino, with different values for the court cards.


bend it like Beckham

bend it like Beckham (third-person singular simple present bends it like Beckham, present participle bending it like Beckham, simple past and past participle bent it like Beckham)

bends it like Beckham (present singular third-person)
bending it like Beckham (participle present)
bent it like Beckham (participle past)
bent it like Beckham (past)

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-bend it like Beckham.wav

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Naomi Persephone Amethyst (NaomiAmethyst)-bend it like Beckham.wav

From bend + it + like + Beckham, referring to the skill of the English footballer David Beckham (born 1975) in kicking a football with a curling shot. The term was popularized by the title of the film Bend It Like Beckham (2002).

Bud [a dog] harried the ball across the garden. He dribbled it with his nose, bending it like Beckham.

2002, Jenny Oldfield, “Saturday, May 26th”, in My Little Life: When Shah Went Weird, London: Hodder Children’s Books, Hodder Headline, →ISBN, page 37:

The whole of England held its breath as [David] Beckham stepped back, looked up, paused, and, well, bent it like Beckham into the top corner. The nation's roofs lifted off. […] I too leapt into the air and jumped for joy when Beckham's shot hit the back of the net.

2002, John [Peter] Sugden, “Five Past One, September 2001”, in Scum Airways: Inside Football’s Underground Economy, Edinburgh; London: Mainstream Publishing Company, →ISBN, page 177:

David Beckham, for example, is known for his free kicks. After team training, he practices free kick after free kick after free kick—just him, the ball, goal, and a movable wall. He practices well after his teammates have showered and left the ground. Like the movie title says, "Nobody bends it like Beckham" (though the Brazilians might debate that statement). That kind of skill is not genetic; it is from deliberate practice and a lot of it.

2007, Donald T. Kirkendall, William E. Garrett Jr., “Introduction”, in The Complete Guide to Soccer Fitness & Injury Prevention: A Handbook for Players, Parents, and Coaches, Chapel Hill, N.C.: University of North Carolina Press, →ISBN, page 18:

How Kieran Trippier bent it like Beckham to score England's brilliant World Cup opener against Croatia [title] […] That was an old school free-kick from Kieran Trippier, straight out of the David Beckham playbook. His aim is to get as much whip and dip on the ball as possible. Trippier addresses the side of the ball, plants his left foot alongside it and his right takes care of the rest. The way he wraps his foot around the ball generates a top-spin effect, like a sweetly struck forehand from Rafael Nadal.

2018 July 12, Jamie Redknapp, “How Kieran Trippier bent it like Beckham to score England’s brilliant World Cup opener against Croatia”, in Daily Mail, London: DMG Media, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 2025-03-31:

Not even a Chinese philosopher can meditate endlessly on gravel so we get the ball next. After a spell of bending it like Beckham, dribbling around two hot Pyreneans who have seen it all before, we take position at opposite sides of a plastic sunlounger, tilted to optimal ball-slide angle.

2021, Jean Gill, “Examining Gravel and Live-heading Roses”, in True Colours: Six Books Drawn from Life […], [United States]: The 13th Sign, →ISBN:

England's David Beckham and Brazil's Roberto Carlos were purveoyrs of the so-called ‘banana kick’ – where the ball curves outrageously to deceive the goalkeeper. Being able to ‘bend it like Beckham’ is a case of adding rotation to the ball as it moves, which can be done by kicking it off-centre.

2024 April 7, Jonathan Chadwick, “How to bend it like Beckham: Scientists reveal the formula for a winning football match – and why players should NEVER aim for the centre in penalties”, in Daily Mail, London: DMG Media, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 2025-03-04:

Reece James bends it like Beckham to help England break down Latvia [title] […] There had been a lovely moment towards the end of the first half, Reece James curling home a stunning 25-yard free-kick. It was his first start for England since September 2022, and his first international goal, too.

2025 March 24, David Hytner, “World Cup 2026 qualifiers: Reece James bends it like Beckham to help England break down Latvia”, in Katharine Viner, editor, The Guardian, London: Guardian News & Media, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 2025-03-25:

(intransitive, soccer) To kick a football (soccer ball), especially during a free kick, in a manner which causes it to move in a curve rather than in a straight line.

potkaista kierteellä

to kick a football (soccer ball) in a manner which causes it to move in a curve rather than in a straight line


I doubt it

(card games) Synonym of bullshit (“a card game where the goal is to have no cards remaining in a hand, often by telling lies”).


Kings Solitude

(chess, informal) A rare game state in which one player has eliminated all of the opponent’s pieces except the king. Used to describe total material dominance before delivering checkmate.


Kings Draw

(chess, informal) A game state where both players have only their kings remaining, resulting in a draw due to insufficient mating material.


riichi

en-noun

riichi (countable and uncountable, plural riichis)

From Japanese 立直 (rīchi), from Chinese 立直 (lìzhí).

(mahjong) A scoring condition and 1000-point bet made by declaring the hand to be ready, waiting for one more tile to win.

(mahjong, informal, often capitalized) Clipping of riichi mahjong


yo-yo club

From the image of the club moving and down between leagues like a yo-yo.

A yo-yo club usually found bouncing between the top flight and the second tier, Leicester had spent the majority of the Premier League era outside of the Premier League.

2018 December 12, Jonathan Clegg, Joshua Robinson, The Club: How the Premier League Became the Richest, Most Disruptive Business in Sport, Hachette UK, →ISBN:

The late 1970s and early '80s were notable for three clubs that had a particular notoriety as 'yo-yo clubs': they were Leicester City, Wolverhampton Wanderers and Birmingham City

2020 July 24, Richard Cox, Dave Russell, Wray Vamplew, Encyclopedia of British Football, Routledge, →ISBN:

It would do nothing, however, to increase those clubs' chances of surviving in that top division as their financial resources would be diminished compared to the existing yo-yo clubs and would be likely to result in more 'one-season wonder' clubs.

2023 January 24, Stephen Morrow, The People's Game?: Football, Finance and Society, Springer Nature, →ISBN, page 25:

(soccer) A club that experiences a run of alternating promotions and relegations in quick succession.


small card

Coordinate term: high card

(bridge) Any card lower than a jack, playing a vital role in the various strategic aspects of the game.


honor card

honor cards (plural)
honour card (alternative UK)


small-card

(card games) Of or related to a small suit card.


ace bare

The exasperating frequency of hands where one card alone, such as a king or ace, supported by a deuce only, or king or ace bare, debars the holder from calling misère is an experience common to every player.

1895, Barry Pain, Jerome Klapka Jerome (contributors), To-Day, A Weekly Magazine-Journal, volume 9, number 105, page 248:

She considered her hand for a moment, after which she indulged in a spot of counter-chicanery by bidding two diamonds. Bill Teagle, knowing it would be taken to mean that he was void in diamonds or that he held the ace bare, now mentioned three of that suit. And Joe Conklin, certain that his wife would give him another chance to speak, said "Four diamonds." So ended round one. It was now up to Marion again.

Give east the ace bare, and once again a small spade must be led from North's hand on the first round, though there will be no necessity for subsequent leads from North.

December 7, 1940, Four Aces, “The Cardplayer, Missing The Ace?”, in The Australasian, page 41:

"Four aces bare," he said, passing the box to Tony. " ... Roddy got to the state of being so jittery that he started to rush out into the street every time the bell went ...

1961, Paul Barry, Unwillingly To School, page 106:

with an abondance already declared against him and lacking the top two hearts, West took it as a fair bet that he must have held ten or eleven trumps, leaving a strong possibility of Ace bare in South's hand.

1976, Edu-Games (U.K.) (publisher), Games & Puzzles, numbers 44-55, page 32:

Watson took the spade lead, as he had to, and continued with the heart eight. Harry ducked in dummy, hoping for the ace bare with Holmes but the sleuth duced as well and the defense cashed two hearts.

September 4, 1980, Louis Egan Steele, “Bridge expert plays his cards right”, in Monrovia News-Post, page 49:

(bridge, uncommon) An ace held without any accompanying lower-ranked cards in that suit, rendering it unprotected or undefended.


speedsolver

Every speedsolver uses, and every “how to solve the cube” book contains, an algorithm for solving the cube.

2020, Thane Plambeck, Tomas Rokicki, editors, Barrycades and Septoku: Papers in Honor of Martin Gardner and Tom Rodgers, American Mathematical Soc., page 80:

He is a speedsolver and Unicyclist.

2024, Chandresh Agrawal, editor, AP GRAMA SACHIVALAYAM Exam PDF-WARD PLANNING & REGULATION SECRETARY (GRADE-II) EXAM EBOOK-PDF: All Sections Covered, nandini books, page 1294:

Many speedsolvers have the ability, falling under the general skillset of "lookahead", to identify the likely permutation they will see for the next stage based on the progress of the current stage, and they can vary their solution to avoid permutations that require more moves or an algorithm they are slower to perform.

2025 February 24, Wikipedia contributors, “CFOP method”, in English Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation:

(Rubik's Cube) A person who solves puzzles, such as the Rubik's Cube, as quickly as possible.


bonus point

(athletics, education, games) An additional point awarded to a student, player, or participant in recognition of an exceptional performance or by surpassing a standard.


trips formation

trips formation (plural trips formations)

Compare trips (“three of a kind in poker”).

(American football) An offensive formation in which three receivers line up on the same side of the field.


gaming table

(games, gambling) A table or other piece of furniture at which cards, dice or other forms of gambling are played.


mullygrubber

(cricket) Synonym of grubber (“ball that bounces unusually low”).


advantage play

(gambling) Player use of discouraged or bannable but not illegal techniques such as card counting to gain an advantage, usually over the house, at games of chance.


advantage player

advantage player (plural advantage players)

advantage players (plural)
AP (alternative)

(gambling) One who engages in advantage play.


covered court

(Philippines, basketball) A basketball court under a roof.


reelset

reelsets (plural)
reel set (alternative)

(gambling) On a slot machine, a collection of spinning reels that determine payout. Typically this is only a single set of either three or five reels.


opening goal

(sports, ball games) The first goal of a team in a match or by any team in a match.


snip-snap-snorum

snip-snap-snorem (alternative)
snipsnapsnorum (alternative)

(card games) A game in which players attempt to match the previously played card with a card from their own hands.


Tommy come tickle me

(card games) A card-matching game similar to snip-snap-snorum.


Olimpico

From Spanish and Portuguese gol olímpico. Ultimately from Cesáreo Onzari's goal against reigning Olympic champions Uruguay in 1924, the first goal known to have been scored directly from a corner kick in professional play.

(soccer) A goal scored directly from a corner kick without being touched by another player.


push-and-run

This is Tottenham, the club of Arthur Rowe and Bill Nicholson, the masters of push-and-run, and they won a major final with a 61% pass completion rate. They completed just 115 passes in the entire game, none of them key.

2025 May 21, Jonathan Wilson, “Spurs prevail with Mourinho blueprint and ultra pragmatism in baffling final”, in The Guardian:


hop step

hop steps (plural)
hopstep (alternative)

(basketball) A move where a player takes one step after stopping their dribble and then jumps off that foot, landing with both feet at the same time.


snapdragon double

snapdragon double (countable and uncountable, plural snapdragon doubles)

(bridge) A type of bidding convention used when the first three players have bid three different suits.


booster pack

(card games) An expansion deck of a trading card game.


five-tool

Clark is likely to produce above-average power numbers. He's a premium athlete with all the attributes necessary to become a five-tool standout—six if you include his ability to promote the other five.

(baseball) Able to hit for a high batting average, hit for power, run the bases well, throw well, and field well.


e.p.

1.e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. d4 exd4 4. e5 Ne4 5. Qxd4 d5 6. exd6 e.p. Nxd6 7. Bg5 Nc6 8. Qe3+ Be7 9. Nbd2 0-0 10. 0-0-0 Re8 11. Kb1 (=)

2022, “2023 Laws of Chess”, in FIDE, page 23:


oichokabu

Couldn't we play with hanafuda instead? I asked. I had a decent amount of experience with oichokabu or koi koi thanks to playing with my mom's family in the countryside.

2013, Nagaru Tanigawa, translated by Paul Tuttle Starr, The Surprise of Haruhi Suzumiya, Yen Press, →ISBN:

(card games) Alternative form of oicho-kabu.


outwick

(curling) Shot where a player's stone hits the outer edge of another player's stone, causing it to move towards the tee.


playground rumor

playground rumor (plural playground rumors)

An imaginative rumor, misconception, or urban legend spread among children, or regarded as similarly unconvincing.

(gaming) An unverifiable claim of hidden or unlockable content in a video game (especially associated with the late 1990s, before the Internet trivialized debunking such claims).