Did you know these sporting term origins? | #216

And a cricket connection to Peter Jackson

Aug 03, 2024

Friends,

What a week for Indian sports!

Manu Bhaker became Independent India’s first ever multi-medalist in a single Olympics. Swapnil Kusale, rose from his job as a train ticket collector to pocket India’s 3rd medal of the Olympics. And India beat Sri Lanka 3-0 in a meaningless T20 series that nobody watched

So this week we decided to keep the sporty theme going and tell you interesting stories about the etymology of sporting terms. Feel free to use these at the watercooler at work next week

Things we learnt this week 🤓

Can you recall PT periods in school?The PT teacher, standing at the top of the net, bellows, “Score love-all,” and beckons one of the students to serve. Love-all? It sounds romantic, doesn’t it? But let’s unravel the mystery. The most accepted theory ties this curious term to the French word for egg, “l’œuf.” Why? Because an egg resembles the number zero. So, in this narrative, “love” signifies a score of zero in tennis, a whimsical way of saying a player hasn’t scored any points yet. But wait, there’s another twist. Some historians argue that it traces back to the Dutch or Flemish word “lof,” which translates to honor. In this version, a score of zero isn’t just a void; it’s about playing for honor rather than points. It’s a noble stand, where love means keeping the game pure, free from the corrupting influence of actual scoring. Time for an old joke - What do you call a group of people who celebrate Valentine’s Day? Love Day Cabal.

Picture this - Lovlina Borgohain inside the boxing ring, arms raised after clinching a historic second medal at the Olympics. As Jio Cinema flashes "history in the ring" on the screen, you might wonder: why call it a ring when she’s standing in a rectangular arena? The term "The Ring" in sports is most commonly associated with boxing, although it has extended its reach to include other combat sports arenas. The origin of calling a boxing arena "The Ring" dates back to the early days of the sport in the 18th century when boxing matches often took place in a roughly drawn circle on the ground surrounded by spectators. These gatherings were typically impromptu, with the crowd forming a circle or a ring around the fighters, giving them space to move and engage while providing an unobstructed view to the audience. As boxing evolved and became more organized, the need for a more defined and regulated space became apparent. By the late 19th century, the circle was replaced with a square platform bordered by ropes strung between posts. Despite this change in shape and structure, the term "ring" persisted, carried over from the circle of spectators that originally defined the combat space. Boxers in the ring are truly suffe-ring.

Ring-a-ring-a roses.. Boxing has a lot of poses

It’s the late 1970s, and Dodgers outfielder Dusty Baker just hit a home run. As he heads back to the dugout, teammate Glenn Burke greets him with an upraised hand. Baker slaps it, and voilà—the high five is born. This spontaneous moment between two baseball players is widely credited as the origin of the now ubiquitous gesture. From baseball fields to boardrooms, classrooms to social gatherings, the high five is everywhere. The high five has inspired variations, too: the “low five,” performed at waist level, and the “self high five,” popularized by wrestler Diamond Dallas Page. No matter the form, the high five endures as a powerful symbol of shared joy and achievement