Dimensions
140 x 208 x 22mm
In cricket, what is a batsman up to when he farms the strike, plays an agricultural shot, or does a bit of gardening? What is a double bagel in tennis? Or the yips in gold? What is the B of the Bang? And Row Z? And where on earth do the words deuce, dormie, and doosra come from?
'Talking Balls' explains the meaning and origin of hundreds of terms and phrases currently used by those who practice sport as well as those who write about it. The core of the book is the language used by commentators, journalists, players, managers, and coaches to talk about sport -- often using the terms that lie outside the 'official' lexicon of the sport (where some of the most fanciful, creative, and amusing usages can be found).
'Talking Balls' not only shows how sport shapes our language, but also allows sports buffs to look at the games that they love from a humorous and intriguing angle. Sport is itself a metaphor, so naturally, sporting expressions become useful metaphors for the way we live. That has been the case ever since someone was first caught on a sticky wicket.
