'Knock It Out of the Park' with These Sports Idioms

'Knock It Out of the Park' with These Sports Idioms

Vocabulary

knock
Verb /nɑːk/
to hit something in order to make it move

They lost the game because their goalkeeper knocked the ball into his own goal!
The player was knocked onto the ground.
He knocked on the door, but no one answered.
He knocked and waited to be let in.

focus
Verb /ˈfoʊkəs/
to give all of your attention to what you are doing; to concentrate on something

He focused his attention on making the shot.
She is focusing her camera.
He's focusing carefully on his work.
Our company is focusing on the domestic market first, and then the international market.
In school, my brother focused on math and science.
I plan to focus on this project for the rest of the week.

roll
Verb /roʊl/
to move across a surface while turning over and over

The ball rolled into the hole.
The bear is rolling on the ice.

lawn game
Noun /lɔːn ɡeɪm/
an outdoor game that can be played on a lawn

My family often plays lawn games in the summer.

mallet
Noun /ˈmælɪt/
a large wooden hammer used for playing croquet or polo

The first thing you need to learn is how to hit the ball with the mallet.

score
Verb /skoʊr/
to win points in a game

He just scored a goal.

They went wild when their team scored.

Article

'Knock It Out of the Park' with These Sports Idioms

In English, there are many expressions that come from sports. Here are four sports idioms that you can use in daily conversation.


Keep your eye on the ball

When playing baseball, it's important to watch the ball. If you keep your eye on the ball, you're more likely to hit it. So, the expression "keep your eye on the ball" means "focus on the most important thing."  For example, "Keep your eye on the ball and you'll get good grades."


Drop the ball

In many sports, a team could lose a game if a player drops the ball. So if you "drop the ball," you've made a mistake or failed at something important. For example, if you forget an important meeting, you can say, "I'm sorry. I really dropped the ball!"


Get the ball rolling

This expression probably comes from croquet, a lawn game that involves using a mallet to hit balls on the ground. To start a game of croquet, one of the players has to hit the ball, making it roll across the ground. So, to "get the ball rolling" means to start an activity or process, and to "keep the ball rolling" means to continue it. For instance, "Let's get the ball rolling by introducing ourselves."


Knock it out of the park

When a baseball player hits the ball out of the park, the team scores a home run. This doesn't happen very often, so it's really exciting to see. In the same way, when someone does something very well, you can say they "hit it out of the park" or "knocked it out of the park." For example, "Great job on your exam! You really knocked it out of the park!"


Questions

1.What does it mean to "keep your eye on the ball"?
2.When can you tell someone they've "dropped the ball"?
3.Where does the expression "get the ball rolling" probably come from?

Discussion

1.Which of the sports idioms from the article did you find interesting? Why?
2.Are you a baseball fan? If so, who are your favorite players? If not, what sports do you follow?
3.Have you ever forgotten an important meeting? If so, please share your experience.
4.Have you ever played croquet? If so, did you enjoy it? If not, what lawn games are popular where you live?
5.Do you have a favorite sports team or athlete? Why do you like them?

Further Discussion

1.Do you play any sports? If so, which ones? If not, why not?
2.What's the most exciting sporting event you've ever been to? Please explain your answer.
3.What are the most popular sports in your country? Why do you think that is?
4.Who are your country's most famous sports people? Please share what you know about them.
5.It's not whether you win or lose, it's how you play the game. - Grantland Rice. What do you make of this statement?