Friday, January 15, 2010

1035 - Baseball Metaphors

Baseball brain test ... Are you tuned into baseball or not? I'm not apparently. I only got 8 out of 15.

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Not only is baseball America's pastime but the most pervasive athletic metaphor in the American language. Whether or not we're fans, we speak baseballese just about every day, and all year round.

Fill in each blank below with a common word or phrase that has its origins in baseball. Don't worry. I won't throw you any curveballs. In fact, right off the bat, I'll offer an example for you to bat around: "I know you won't quit. You'll always be IN THERE PITCHING."


1. We're not making a bit of progress with this project. We can't even get to _____.

2. You are so out of it. You're way out there in _____.

3. Some people are born with a silver spoon in their mouth, while others are born with _____ against them.

4. Everybody's so enthusiastic about your proposal. You just hit a _____.

5. I know you can't give me an exact price, but can you give me a _____ figure?

6. These people are really serious. They play _____.

7. On Broadway, the new musical "The Producers" has been a _____.

8. I promise I'll consult you before I make any decisions. I'll be sure to _____ with you.

9. I can't meet you today, but I'd like to in the near future. Would you mind if I took a _____?

10. Let's act quickly. Let's do it right _____.

11. She's such a wild and wacky woman - a real _____.

12. Smith is away at a conference, so we're going to have Jones _____ for him.

13. That performance was great. It was a _____ performance.

14. They're chintzy, they're inexperienced; they're incompetent. They run a _____ operation.

15. Greg will stay single for the rest of his life. Rather than settling down, he prefers to _____.









ANSWERS:
1 first base
2 left field
3 two strikes
4 home run
5 ballpark
6 hardball
7 smash hit
8 touch base
9 rain check
10 off the bat
11 screwball
12 pinch-hit
13 major league
14 bush league/minor league
15 play the field

 

8 comments:

bandit said...

I got 11. Would have got a couple more if the questions were worded a bit differently.

Bilbo said...

You sure batted a thousand with this one.

Bandit said...

Good one Bilbo!

I assume you can't post it, but wasn't that Hitler hates the Cubs e-mail one of the funniest you have ever seen?

Jay said...

I got 12 of them, but refuse to accept the "smash hit" as a miss. Nobody uses the phrase "smash hit" in baseball. ;-)

lacochran said...

I got 8, too. Wonder if they were the same 8 as yours. Hm. Scary.

Mike said...

B - I'm suprised Mr. Trivia only got 11.

B - Insert appropriate come backer here.

B - I haven't not decided to post that. Just not yet.

J - I did count 'smash' either. Otherwise it would have only been 7.

LA - So does 'no smash' give you 9?

John A Hill said...

If you count "hit" for "smash hit" I got them all.

Mike said...

J - You've been spending to much time around ballparks.

And Jay - I meant 'DIDN'T'. Just another typo in the blogesphere .... blogasphere .... blogisphere ... blogosphere .... (pick one).