Wordie: The language of America's Pastime: Comments

Comment by pomegranate, 10 months ago

Thu, 06 Dec 2007 16:59:49 +0000

Reesetee, I'd never heard of that one, but it actually makes more sense.

Comment by reesetee, 10 months ago

Thu, 06 Dec 2007 15:48:33 +0000

I've also heard "chin music" used more generally to refer to gossip or idle chatter. Wonder which came first?

Comment by bilby, 10 months ago

Wed, 05 Dec 2007 21:58:08 +0000

I just like a guy who can play with a smile on his face even under pressure, who brings that kid-in-the-park excitement to the game when he connects.

The list is coming on promisingly, I'm sure you'll find lots of lovely jargon for this :-)

Comment by pomegranate, 10 months ago

Wed, 05 Dec 2007 21:47:25 +0000

Vlad was a great ballplayer. I wish he'd never left the Expos... er... Nats. "Dinger" is okay, but "tater" means the exact same thing and is better IMO.

Comment by bilby, 10 months ago

Wed, 05 Dec 2007 20:24:25 +0000

That's grand. Dinger and no-no are a couple of my favourites. I confess to being a huge Vladimir Guerrero fan.

Comment by pomegranate, 10 months ago

Wed, 05 Dec 2007 20:09:50 +0000

Bilby, yes. "Chin music" is widely used in baseball to mean exactly that. There's also the "brushback pitch," "establishing the inside corner," "sending a message," and, in some cases, "retaliation."

Comment by bilby, 10 months ago

Wed, 05 Dec 2007 19:59:59 +0000

Do they use the expression chin-music in baseball? We do in cricket for a ball which gets uncomfortably close to the head. I'm told this term comes from the West Indies where both cricket and Bob Marley are kind of religions.