Sports Slang
There is no shortage of acronyms and abbreviations used in sports. Each sport has its own shorthand, so it can be difficult to remember what all the different abbreviations mean. The following list is a good reference to help you understand the meaning of all the slang terms used during sporting events and in the post-game analysis. You can also view specific baseball slang, golf slang, and fantasy football slang.
Slang Term | Meaning | Votes |
---|---|---|
vs | Versus | 562 |
BF | Batters faced | 563 |
pts | Points | 566 |
Stud | A highly skilled individual | 575 |
W | Win | 576 |
PB | Personal best | 576 |
Clutch | Ability to perform under pressure | 578 |
FF | Fantasy football | 583 |
GOAT | Greatest of all time | 583 |
Beast mode | Dominating gameplay | 585 |
Ace | Hole in one | 585 |
Throw the game | Lose the game on purpose | 585 |
ownage | Completely owned | 586 |
Skol | Good health | 586 |
WR | Wide receiver | 587 |
DQ | Disqualify | 588 |
WWE | World Wrestling Entertainment | 588 |
HR | Home run | 588 |
MLB | Major League Baseball | 589 |
LeBroning | Flopping | 589 |
SB | Super Bowl | 589 |
Mulligan | Redo | 590 |
PPR | Points per reception | 590 |
LFG | Let's freaking go | 590 |
ROY | Rookie of the Year | 591 |
Basebrawl | Baseball brawl | 591 |
Handcuff | A fantasy football backup player | 591 |
YPG | Yards per game | 591 |
DFS | Daily Fantasy Sports | 591 |
NHL | National Hockey League | 592 |
RBI | Runs batted in | 592 |
2B | Second base | 592 |
DL | Disabled list | 592 |
March Madness | NCAA Basketball Tournament | 592 |
Can of corn | An easy catch by a fielder | 592 |
Closer | A relief pitcher that finishes a baseball game | 592 |
Rundown | Baserunner stranded between two bases | 592 |
Set the table | To get on base so other hitters can score the baserunners | 592 |
GF | Games finished | 592 |
Bush league | Amateur play | 592 |
FFL | Fantasy football league | 592 |
Snake draft | Draft where the last pick in one round is the first in the next | 592 |
PF | Points for | 592 |
Ceiling | Upside of a player | 592 |
ref | Referee | 593 |
WCW | World Championship Wrestling | 593 |
avg | Batting average | 593 |
SB | Stolen bases | 593 |
Tater | Home run | 593 |
One and done | Single elimination tournament | 593 |
Chin music | Pitch that nearly hits the batter's head | 593 |
TP | Triple play | 593 |
Put him on skates | To make a person stumble over himself | 593 |
Victory lap | Golf ball that spins around the hole then falls in | 593 |
WR1 | First starting fantasy wide receiver | 593 |
TE | Tight end | 593 |
BOAT | Best of all time | 593 |
Fanboy | A dedicated male fan | 594 |
stats | Statistics | 594 |
FIFA | Fédération Internationale de Football Association | 594 |
Bracket buster | A team that upsets a highly ranked team | 594 |
Steeze | Style and ease | 594 |
WR | World record | 594 |
DNF | Did not finish | 594 |
ADP | Average draft position | 594 |
Honors | Hit first from the tee in golf | 594 |
RB | Running back | 594 |
RB1 | Starting fantasy running back | 594 |
Half-PPR | Half-point per reception league | 594 |
Mark | A fan who believes pro wrestling is real | 594 |
Ups | Jumping ability | 595 |
AFC | American Football Conference | 595 |
Wheels | Fast legs | 595 |
Triple | Hit that results in the batter getting to third base | 595 |
SLG | Slugging percentage | 595 |
ACL | Anterior cruciate ligament | 595 |
ship | Championship | 595 |
IR | Injured reserve | 595 |
ppd | Postponed | 595 |
Final Four | Last four competitors | 595 |
Mendoza line | .200 batting average | 595 |
Bases juiced | Baserunners on all three bases | 595 |
Saddam Hussein | Golf shot from one bunker into another bunker | 595 |
Texas wedge | Putt from off the green | 595 |
rec | Receptions | 595 |
Fish | Casual fantasy sports player | 595 |
Shark | An experienced fantasy sports player | 595 |
Bearish | Negative outlook | 595 |
Bullish | Positive outlook | 595 |
Put over | Make someone look good | 595 |
WC | World Cup | 596 |
SO | Strikeouts | 596 |
NLDS | National League Division Series | 596 |
Cinderella | Underdog sports team | 596 |
Sweet Sixteen | Last 16 teams in a tournament | 596 |
Elite Eight | Last eight teams of March Madness | 596 |
On deck | Batting second | 596 |
Cellar dweller | A team constantly in last place | 596 |
A | Assists | 596 |
JAG | Just a guy | 596 |
Grand Slam | Winning the four major golf tournaments | 596 |
Steezy | Style and ease | 596 |
Snowman | Golf score of 8 | 596 |
Draft dasher | A fantasy football owner who drafts a team and abandons it | 596 |
Slept | To hit someone hard | 596 |
Albatross | Three strokes under par | 596 |
QB1 | First starting fantasy quarterback | 596 |
Flier | Gamble on a risky player | 596 |
Ghostship | A fantasy football team with no owner | 596 |
Vulture back | A running back who takes scoring chances from the starter | 596 |
Trade bait | A good player that entices other teams to trade for him | 596 |
Undroppable | A player who cannot be dropped from a fantasy team | 596 |
Stream | Rotating players in and out of a lineup | 596 |
Reach | To draft a player too soon | 596 |
Kayfabe | Pretending something fake is real | 596 |
OT | Overtime | 597 |
def | Defense | 597 |
Jock | Athlete | 597 |
NBA | National Basketball Association | 597 |
NFC | National Football Conference | 597 |
USWNT | United States Women's National Team | 597 |
FOMOF | Fear of missing out on football | 597 |
Dinger | Home run | 597 |
Homer | Home run | 597 |
Meatball | Easy pitch to hit | 597 |
Bloop | Weakly hit fly ball | 597 |
Single | Hit that results in the batter getting to first base | 597 |
3B | Third base | 597 |
OPS | On-base Plus Slugging Percentage | 597 |
TNF | Thursday Night Football | 597 |
Bracket | Diagram of tournament games | 597 |
On the screws | Hard hit | 597 |
DP | Double play | 597 |
R | Runs | 597 |
Paint the corner | To pitch the ball over the edge of home plate | 597 |
Circus catch | Acrobatic catch | 597 |
DER | Defensive Efficiency Rating | 597 |
Annie Oakley | Free pass | 597 |
Supersub | A player who often scores as a substitute | 597 |
Grand Slam | Winning the four major tennis tournaments | 597 |
And one | A play where a player is fouled while making a basket | 597 |
IOC | International Olympic Committee | 597 |
Waiver hawk | A fantasy sports owner who patrols the waiver wire | 597 |
Sleeper | A player drafted late but exceeds expectations | 597 |
Drop | A ball dropped from a golfer's outstretched arm | 597 |
IDP | Individual defensive player | 597 |
QB | Quarterback | 597 |
Flex | Fantasy football position that can be a RB, WR, or TE | 597 |
K | Kicker | 597 |
d | Defense | 597 |
Flyer | Gamble on a risky player | 597 |
FR | Fumble recovery | 597 |
fum | Total fumbles | 597 |
sck | Sacks | 597 |
Truthiness | Truth based on feelings | 597 |
Minnow | Weak fantasy sports player | 597 |
Floor | Downside of a player | 597 |
Woj bomb | A breaking report by Adrian Wojnarowski | 597 |
Millennial baseball | A baseball strategy of swinging for home runs instead of base hits | 597 |
Honnolding | Standing up straight on a narrow ledge with your back to the wall | 597 |
Cut a promo | Stage a promotional interview | 597 |
Heel | Villain | 597 |
tourney | Tournament | 598 |
HMP | Half marathon pace | 598 |
WWF | World Wrestling Federation | 598 |
Siv | Bad goaltender | 598 |
ERA | Earned run average | 598 |
Yard | Home run | 598 |
CS | Caught stealing | 598 |
ALCS | American League Championship Series | 598 |
Ace | Best starting pitcher | 598 |
Mash | To hit a baseball well | 598 |
SP | Starting pitcher | 598 |
RP | Relief pitcher | 598 |
LCS | League Championship Series | 598 |
Ride the pine | Sit on the bench | 598 |
Ruthian | Powerful | 598 |
Baltimore chop | Baseball hit that takes a large hop over an infielder | 598 |
Grounder | Baseball hit on the ground | 598 |
Double | Hit that results in the batter getting to second base | 598 |
1B | First base | 598 |
WAR | Wins Above Replacement | 598 |
RF | Right field | 598 |
CFP | College Football Playoff | 598 |
OROY | Offensive Rookie of the Year | 598 |
Cutting down the nets | Won a basketball tournament | 598 |
Bracketology | Predicting who will win a tournament | 598 |
E1 | Error made by the pitcher | 598 |
E3 | Error made by the first baseman | 598 |
E4 | Error made by the second baseman | 598 |
E5 | Error made by the third baseman | 598 |
E6 | Error made by the shortstop | 598 |
Double play | Two outs on the same play | 598 |
Rubber | Pitcher's plate | 598 |
Shoestring catch | Catch made just above a player's shoes | 598 |
Cellar | Last place | 598 |
XBH | Extra base hits | 598 |
Twin killing | Double play | 598 |
Turn two | To record a double play | 598 |
Leadoff | First batter in the lineup | 598 |
Cleanup | Player batting fourth in the lineup | 598 |
fpct | Fielding percentage | 598 |
TC | Total chances | 598 |
Two bagger | Double | 598 |
Bag | Base | 598 |
Charity stripe | Free throw line | 598 |
GSH | Grand Slams | 598 |
Lift the silverware | Win a trophy | 598 |
SV | Saves | 598 |
Pea | A ball traveling at a high speed | 598 |
Punchout | Strikeout | 598 |
Yakker | Curve ball | 598 |
Shelled | Beaten badly | 598 |
Togger | Soccer | 598 |
Round-tripper | Home run | 598 |
Worm burner | Very low golf shot | 598 |
Rainmaker | High trajectory golf shot | 598 |
OB | Out-of-bounds | 598 |
Hangman | Golf score of 9 | 598 |
Die in the hole | Golf shot that makes it to the hole and falls in | 598 |
RBBC | Running back by committee | 598 |
Bust | A player who does not perform well | 598 |
Fire sale | When an owner trades players away | 598 |
Scratch golfer | A golfer with a handicap of zero | 598 |
proj | Projected | 598 |
yds | Yards | 598 |
QBBC | Quarterback by committee | 598 |
int | Interception | 598 |
Fleecing | Taking advantage of a person through a trade | 598 |
att | Attempts | 598 |
YPA | Yards per attempt | 598 |
oprk | Opponent ranking | 598 |
tar | Receiving targets | 598 |
sfty | Safety | 598 |
Get buckets | To dominate | 598 |
Zebra | A game official | 598 |
Degen | A gambler who makes foolish bets | 598 |
Unforced error | An easily-avoidable mistake | 598 |
PR | Personal record | 598 |
On fire | Performing very well | 598 |
Take the L | Take the loss | 598 |
chip | Championship | 598 |
Dime | Assist | 598 |
Posterize | To dunk on an opponent | 598 |
FKT | Fastest known time | 598 |
Downtown | Beyond the 3-point line | 598 |
Putting on a clinic | Performing exceptionally well | 598 |
Pull | To hit a ball to the same side of the field in which you bat | 598 |
CR7 | Cristiano Ronaldo | 598 |
Washed | No longer good | 598 |
Rinsed | Defeated | 598 |
Got that dog in him | Driven to succeed | 598 |
De-cleated | Hit very hard | 598 |
pl8 | Plate | 599 |
PED | Performance enhancing drug | 599 |
HGH | Human growth hormone | 599 |
Circle button | Spin move | 599 |
Owned | Dominated | 599 |
USMNT | United States Men's National Team | 599 |
j | Jump shot | 599 |
BB | Bases on balls | 599 |
Ribby | Run batted in | 599 |
AB | At bat | 599 |
L | Losses | 599 |
K | Strikeouts | 599 |
ALDS | American League Division Series | 599 |
C | Catcher | 599 |
Hot corner | Third base | 599 |
Southpaw | Left-handed pitcher | 599 |
Homer | Hometown sports fan | 599 |
Cycle | Single, double, triple, and home run | 599 |
LF | Left field | 599 |
SS | Shortstop | 599 |
MNF | Monday Night Football | 599 |
E7 | Error made by the left fielder | 599 |
Alley oop | A pass to a teammate who puts the ball in the basket | 599 |
Bronx cheer | Noise that signals mockery | 599 |
Leather | Defense ability | 599 |
Dish | Home plate | 599 |
In the hole | Batting third | 599 |
Uncle Charlie | Curve ball | 599 |
WS | World Series | 599 |
GIDP | Ground into double play | 599 |
NP | Number of pitches | 599 |
SF | Sacrifice Flies | 599 |
TPA | Total plate appearances | 599 |
GS | Games started | 599 |
Grand Slam | A four-run home run | 599 |
Four bagger | Home run | 599 |
Sweet spot | The part of the bat that provides the best contact | 599 |
Maddux | Complete game shutout with less than 100 pitches | 599 |
IBB | Intentional bases on balls | 599 |
G | Games played | 599 |
PB | Passed balls | 599 |
Three bagger | Triple | 599 |
Golden Slam | Tennis Grand Slam and the Olympics gold medal | 599 |
LIPS | Late inning pressured situations | 599 |
Put out fires | Get out of difficult situations | 599 |
Backdoor slider | A pitch that breaks over the plate | 599 |
MBFA | Make baseball fun again | 599 |
OR | Olympic record | 599 |
Pin-seeker | Golf shot hit straight at the flagstick | 599 |
Alec Guinness | Out-of-bounds | 599 |
Back-door putt | Putt that spins around a hole and drops in | 599 |
Squirrel | Tee shot into the rough | 599 |
Keeper league | Fantasy sports league where you keep your players | 599 |
Serpentine draft | Draft where the last pick in one round is the first in the next | 599 |
Auction draft | Draft where owners bid on players | 599 |
Breakout | A player who performs surprisingly well | 599 |
Mock draft | Simulated draft | 599 |
Fore | Watch out | 599 |
Front nine | First nine holes of an 18-hole golf course | 599 |
Gimme | Easy golf putt | 599 |
ffb | Fantasy football | 599 |
RB2 | Second starting fantasy running back | 599 |
QB2 | Second starting fantasy quarterback | 599 |
WR2 | Second starting fantasy wide receiver | 599 |
WR3 | Third starting fantasy wide receiver | 599 |
ST | Special teams | 599 |
FPG | Fantasy points per game | 599 |
YAC | Yards after catch | 599 |
Garbage time | Time during a blowout game where strategies change | 599 |
Damaged goods | A person who has one or more major flaws | 599 |
prk | Position rank | 599 |
PA | Points against | 599 |
VAR | Video assistant referee | 599 |
IL | Injured list | 599 |
MLBPA | Major League Baseball Players Association | 599 |
LOOGY | Left-handed One Out Guy | 599 |
WOAT | Worst of all time | 599 |
Face | Hero | 599 |
celly | Celebration | 599 |
Shoot | An unscripted event | 599 |
Worked shoot | A scripted event that contains unscripted elements | 599 |
Olympic grandma | An old female Olympian | 599 |
OG | Olympic grandma | 599 |
Smark | A fan who knows pro wrestling is scripted | 599 |
Tweener | A wrestler who is neither hero nor villain | 599 |
Ballin | Playing sports well | 599 |
Stee | Style | 599 |
Yard sale | A bad crash | 599 |
Brick | A shot that squarely clangs off the rim or backboard | 599 |
Bricklayer | A basketball player who is shooting a lot of bricks | 599 |
Dropping dimes | Making difficult passes for assists in basketball | 599 |
FMVP | Finals Most Valuable Player | 599 |
R2R | Rim-to-rim | 599 |
AEW | All Elite Wrestling | 599 |
Fade | To purposely disregard a player | 599 |
Swish | A made shot in basketball that hits only the net | 599 |
Hops | Jumping ability | 599 |
Splash | A made shot that only touches the basketball net | 599 |
Jumper | Jump shot | 599 |
Making it rain | Hitting 3-point shots | 599 |
Flop | An exaggerated fall | 599 |
Air ball | A missed shot that doesn't hit the rim or backboard | 599 |
oppo | Opposite field | 599 |
Boards | Rebounds | 599 |
Bucket | A made basketball shot | 599 |
Trey | 3-point shot attempt | 599 |
Ice cold | Shooting poorly | 599 |
Triple-double | Achieving double digits in three categories in a basketball game | 599 |
Double-double | Achieving double digits in two categories in a basketball game | 599 |
pred | Predator | 599 |
Clean sheet | Shutout | 599 |
Cannon | An impressive throwing arm | 599 |
Juicing | Taking performance-enhancing drugs | 599 |
CB | Cornerback | 599 |
DB | Defensive back | 599 |
DST | Defense and Special Teams | 599 |
3Q | Third quarter | 599 |
1Q | First quarter | 599 |
2Q | Second quarter | 599 |
4Q | Fourth quarter | 599 |
Hockey hair | Long, flowing hair with flipped wings | 599 |
Lettuce | Thick, curly, beautiful hair | 599 |
EPO | Erythropoietin | 600 |
NWO | New World Order | 600 |
Bomb | Home run | 600 |
P | Pitcher | 600 |
OF | Outfield | 600 |
DROY | Defensive Rookie of the Year | 600 |
E | Errors | 600 |
Hotbox | Baserunner stranded between two bases | 600 |
Wheelhouse | Hitter's power zone | 600 |
LOB | Left on base | 600 |
inn | Innings played | 600 |
bk | Balks | 600 |
Cheddar | Good fastball | 600 |
Par | Number of strokes to complete a golf course hole | 600 |
Birdie | One stroke under par | 600 |
Nineteenth hole | Golf clubhouse bar | 600 |
Reload | To take another shot after a bad shot | 600 |
Nuked | Hit a golf ball a great distance | 600 |
Nip it | Hit a golf ball cleanly | 600 |
Amelia Earhart | Golf shot that looks good but you can't find | 600 |
Danny DeVito | Five foot putt | 600 |
Bare lie | A golf ball laying directly on the ground | 600 |
Double eagle | Three strokes under par | 600 |
Back nine | Last nine holes of an 18-hole golf course | 600 |
Ready golf | Golfers hit when ready | 600 |
Inward nine | Last nine holes of an 18-hole golf course | 600 |
i | Interception | 600 |
Sham bomb | A breaking report by Shams Charania | 600 |
PPR | Possible points remaining | 600 |
Work | A scripted event | 600 |
FOMOH | Fear of missing out on hockey | 601 |
Jam | To pitch near a batter's hands | 601 |
RPI | Ratings Percentage Index | 601 |
E9 | Error made by the right fielder | 601 |
Blowing a raspberry | Making a jeering noise | 601 |
Touch em all | Home run | 601 |
Frozen rope | Line drive baseball hit | 601 |
CGL | Complete game losses | 601 |
PA | Plate appearances | 601 |
Bush | Amateur play | 601 |
Eagle | Two strokes under par | 601 |
Quail high | Very low golf shot | 601 |
Abominable snowman | Golf score of 9 | 601 |
Botox | Putt that lips out of the hole | 601 |
Afraid of the dark | Putt that doesn't go in the hole | 601 |
Joe Pesci | A difficult five foot putt | 601 |
Shank | To hit the ball poorly | 601 |
Tight lie | A golf ball laying directly on the ground | 601 |
Bogey golf | Level of golf play that equals 1 shot over par | 601 |
Chunk | A golf shot that makes a divot | 601 |
Fat shot | A golf shot that takes a chunk out of the ground | 601 |
Handicap | Numerical score that represents a golfer's ability | 601 |
The turn | Halfway point of a round of golf | 601 |
Outward nine | First nine holes of an 18-hole golf course | 601 |
Dogleg | A golf hole with a fairway that bends | 601 |
Dogleg left | A golf hole with a fairway that has a bend to the left | 601 |
PVO | Position vs. opponent | 601 |
ret | Kick or punt returner | 601 |
Rib | Run batted in | 602 |
CG | Complete games | 602 |
HBP | Hit by pitch | 602 |
Cheese | Good fastball | 602 |
GRSL | Grand Slams | 602 |
Table setter | A player who gets on base so other hitters can hit him in | 602 |
Bogey | One stroke over par | 602 |
Double bogey | Two strokes over par | 602 |
Sunday ball | A do-over golf shot | 602 |
Tester | A putt that tests a golfer's skill | 602 |
Velcro | Slow green | 602 |
Shotgun start | Golfers are sent to each hole to start at the same time | 602 |
Cup | Hole | 602 |
Double dogleg | A golf hole with a fairway that has two bends | 602 |
Triple bogey | Three strokes over par | 603 |
Sandbagger | A golfer who plays better than he claims | 603 |
James Joyce | Putt that is hard to read | 603 |
Divot | Chunk of grass and soil | 603 |
Dogleg right | A golf hole with a fairway that has a bend to the right | 603 |
Donk | Donkey | 603 |
Mickelson | To hit a golf ball while it is still moving | 603 |
TTTHCS | Things that Tim Howard could save | 605 |
Hoops | Basketball | 600 |
Heater | Fastball | 600 |
NLCS | National League Championship Series | 600 |
Tater trot | Home run trot | 600 |
ER | Earned runs | 600 |
Line drive | Hard hit baseball in the air | 600 |
Texas Leaguer | Weak fly ball hit to the outfield | 600 |
OBP | On-base Percentage | 600 |
CF | Center field | 600 |
MCL | Medial collateral ligament | 600 |
SNF | Sunday Night Football | 600 |
E2 | Error made by the catcher | 600 |
E8 | Error made by the center fielder | 600 |
Around the horn | Double play from third to second to first base | 600 |
Triple play | Three outs on the same play | 600 |
Brushback | Pitch that almost hits the hitter | 600 |
High and tight | High and inside pitch | 600 |
Pickle | Baserunner stranded between two bases | 600 |
Hill | Pitcher's mound | 600 |
On the button | Hard hit ball | 600 |
Putout | Out | 600 |
PO | Putouts | 600 |
Paint the black | To pitch the ball over the edge of home plate | 600 |
Rope | Line drive baseball hit | 600 |
sac | Sacrifice bunts | 600 |
OFA | Outfield assists | 600 |
RF | Range factor | 600 |
AO | Fly outs | 600 |
GO | Ground outs | 600 |
Bases loaded | Baserunners on all three bases | 600 |
HB | Hit batsmen | 600 |
hld | Hold | 600 |
IP | Innings pitched | 600 |
IRA | Inherited runs allowed | 600 |
FIFAWWC | FIFA Women's World Cup | 600 |
The beautiful game | Soccer | 600 |
Super Slam | Tennis Grand Slam and Year-End Championship | 600 |
Boxed set | Singles, doubles, and mixed doubles Grand Slam | 600 |
RW | Relief wins | 600 |
Fireman | Late-inning relief pitcher | 600 |
Cutter | Cut fastball | 600 |
Whiff | Swinging strikeout | 600 |
UR | Unearned runs | 600 |
Worldie | Amazing | 600 |
Flow | Long, thick, luscious hair | 600 |
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