Idioms - Sport

It’s
neck and neck

If two people in a competition
are level and have the same chance of winning, we say ‘it’s neck and neck’.

John and Tom finished the race neck and neck.

On the
home straight or stretch.

When you’re coming to the end of a long task, we can say ‘we’re on the home
straight or the home stretch’.

We can't give up now we're on the home straight.

Down to
the wire

If we are unsure of the result
of something until the very last moment, we say ‘it’ll go down to the
wire.

The Democrats struggled down to the wire to choose their candidate.

Get your
skates on

In English, if we want someone to hurry up, we can say ‘get your skates on.’

You'd better get your skates on, or we are going to miss the bus!

Skating
on thin ice

If someone is doing something
risky or dangerous, we can say they’re skating on thin ice.

Like that time I took my boss’s wife out for dinner. I really was skating on thin ice.

Skating
over something

If someone fails to deal with an issue, we say they are skating over it.

I will skate over the things that I am not sure about.

Keep
your eye on the ball.

When we want someone to give
their complete attention to something, we say ‘keep your eye on the ball’.

It's important to keep your eye on the ball this week, our biggest client
will be visiting the factory for random inspections.

It’s a
whole new ball game.

If there is a situation we know little about or is totally different, we can say ‘It’s a whole new ball game'.

Now that you're here, it's a whole new ball game.

On the
ball.

If someone is very quick to understand something, we say they’re on the ball.

Their staff seems to be really on the ball, able to get projects done on
time.

A false
start

If you try to do something which
fails because you are not properly ready or able to do it, we call it a false start.

After a false start when he left his first job after only a week, he was
offered some modelling work.

To jump
the gun

If someone tries to do something
too soon without thinking about it properly, we say they’ve jumped the gun.

Like that time I asked a girl to marry me just minutes after meeting her. I
really jumped the
gun.

The
front runner

We call the person or organisation most likely to win something ‘the front runner’.

Who is the front-runner in the race to be governor?

The kick
off

If we’re speaking informally, we
can call the start of any event, not just a sports match, the kick off.

He says I was late for a meeting yesterday. He told me kick off was at 12 o’clock.

Moving
the goalposts

If someone changes the rules
while we are trying to do something to make it harder, we say they’re moving the goalposts.

My boss is never satisfied. Whenever I think I've done what he wants, he
moves the goalposts.

A
political football

When politicians from different parties argue about something and try to get an advantage for themselves, we
can say it’s a political football.

To take it on the chin

If we have to accept an
unpleasant situation without complaining we say you ‘take it on the chin’.

Why do I have to take it on the chin for something I didn't do?

To be below the belt

If someone says something very hurtful or unfair, we say ‘That was below the
belt’.

That new advertisement really hits below the belt.

To throw in the towel

When you give up… or are about
to admit defeat, we can say you ‘throw in the
towel’
When John could stand no more of Mary's bad temper, he threw in the towel
and left.