Touchdown!!....?

You don’t realize how many sports analogies and phrases permeate American speech until you are in a country that knows generally very little about American sports.

I have stated or nearly stated all of the following instances of the aforementioned statement during my past 3 months in England. Included are reactions of my English friends:


”I really struck out on that one…” or “Strike one!”
Reaction: confused stare.

“I was so excited I wanted to spike my paper crane and do a celebratory dance in the end zone.”
Reaction: confused stare.

“He shoots, he scores!!!”
Reaction: semi-confused state. (After all, there is shooting and scoring in football.)

“That comment came out of left field!”
Reaction: confused stare.

“A bunch of locker room talk…”
Reaction: confused stare.

"I hit that one outta the ballpark!"
Reaction: confused stare.


“It’s like throwing a hail mary….”
Reaction: COMPLETELY confused stare from my English Catholic friends—followed by a Marta explanation.

There have been others. Of course when I go to write them down down I forget many of them.
One other final musing semi-sports related--
Here in England, what we know as simply “the wave” is called “The Mexican Wave.” Haha isn’t that funny? Anyone know the origin/reason behind that? Kris jokes and says that would be politically incorrect in the States. I remember being told once by my Seattle relatives that “the wave” has its origins in the Kingdom because it was the first stadium constructed with a complete circle conducive for a “full” wave. Thoughts?

Shining my light...and Go Steelers!
-Marta