Sports fans, word lovers, word slingers, word users, and readers alike - get ready for an all-star lineup of 500 words and phrases from the world of athletics that have made their way into common speech. It's right on the button, not only with intriguing facts about their origins, but also with irresistible anecdotes about odds-on-favorite sports greats (and even a few also-rans). Terms from baseball, boxing, football, basketball, hockey, cricket, and rugby pepper the English language whether the subject is war (General Schwarzkopf called an "impossible" yet successful Allied troops maneuver during the Gulf War a hail Mary play) or love (she's on the rebound).Sports metaphors and imagery are perfect for conveying the drama or the daffiness of life. Baseball alone has given us southpaw (a left-handed pitcher), go to bat, coming out of left field, playing hardball. It was originally boxers who had to go the distance unless they were saved by the bell. And kingpins were the prime targets for bowlers long before the DEA started knocking them over too.These are just a few of the grand slam word treats explored in this Hall of Fame collection that gives every sports lover, reader, and speaker a ringside seat on the inside track. Only an oddball who doesn't know the score would stay on the sidelines or take a rain check. Read Less