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 | 552 |
pts | Points | 560 |
Stud | A highly skilled individual | 563 |
BF | Batters faced | 564 |
W | Win | 568 |
GOAT | Greatest of all time | 569 |
Clutch | Ability to perform under pressure | 571 |
PB | Personal best | 573 |
FF | Fantasy football | 578 |
Skol | Good health | 578 |
Throw the game | Lose the game on purpose | 580 |
ownage | Completely owned | 582 |
GF | Games finished | 582 |
MLB | Major League Baseball | 583 |
Ace | Hole in one | 583 |
DQ | Disqualify | 584 |
Beast mode | Dominating gameplay | 584 |
WWE | World Wrestling Entertainment | 585 |
RBI | Runs batted in | 585 |
DFS | Daily Fantasy Sports | 585 |
Ceiling | Upside of a player | 585 |
HR | Home run | 586 |
SB | Super Bowl | 586 |
Tater | Home run | 586 |
Basebrawl | Baseball brawl | 586 |
MVP | Most valuable player | 587 |
ROY | Rookie of the Year | 587 |
Mulligan | Redo | 587 |
March Madness | NCAA Basketball Tournament | 587 |
WR | Wide receiver | 587 |
LFG | Let's freaking go | 587 |
NBA | National Basketball Association | 588 |
DL | Disabled list | 588 |
Closer | A relief pitcher that finishes a baseball game | 588 |
Set the table | To get on base so other hitters can score the baserunners | 588 |
NHL | National Hockey League | 589 |
avg | Batting average | 589 |
L | Losses | 589 |
Mendoza line | .200 batting average | 589 |
Rundown | Baserunner stranded between two bases | 589 |
Bush league | Amateur play | 589 |
FFL | Fantasy football league | 589 |
Handcuff | A fantasy football backup player | 589 |
YPG | Yards per game | 589 |
LeBroning | Flopping | 590 |
2B | Second base | 590 |
Chin music | Pitch that nearly hits the batter's head | 590 |
Can of corn | An easy catch by a fielder | 590 |
Snake draft | Draft where the last pick in one round is the first in the next | 590 |
Kayfabe | Pretending something fake is real | 590 |
BOAT | Best of all time | 590 |
ref | Referee | 591 |
SB | Stolen bases | 591 |
IR | Injured reserve | 591 |
Bracket buster | A team that upsets a highly ranked team | 591 |
Victory lap | Golf ball that spins around the hole then falls in | 591 |
Texas wedge | Putt from off the green | 591 |
PPR | Points per reception | 591 |
TE | Tight end | 591 |
Ghostship | A fantasy football team with no owner | 591 |
Trade bait | A good player that entices other teams to trade for him | 591 |
PF | Points for | 591 |
Washed | No longer good | 591 |
OT | Overtime | 592 |
Fanboy | A dedicated male fan | 592 |
stats | Statistics | 592 |
WCW | World Championship Wrestling | 592 |
Wheels | Fast legs | 592 |
One and done | A single elimination tournament | 592 |
Leather | Defense ability | 592 |
DP | Double play | 592 |
TP | Triple play | 592 |
Sweeper | A breaking ball that sweeps horizontally | 592 |
Waiver hawk | A fantasy sports owner who patrols the waiver wire | 592 |
Honors | Hit first from the tee in golf | 592 |
RB | Running back | 592 |
rec | Receptions | 592 |
Half-PPR | Half-point per reception league | 592 |
WC | World Cup | 593 |
FIFA | Fédération Internationale de Football Association | 593 |
NLDS | National League Division Series | 593 |
Mash | To hit a baseball well | 593 |
Homer | Home run | 593 |
Single | Hit that results in the batter getting to first base | 593 |
SLG | Slugging percentage | 593 |
ship | Championship | 593 |
Cinderella | Underdog sports team | 593 |
JAG | Just a guy | 593 |
Paint the corner | To pitch the ball over the edge of home plate | 593 |
DER | Defensive Efficiency Rating | 593 |
Steeze | Style and ease | 593 |
WR | World record | 593 |
Saddam Hussein | Golf shot from one bunker into another bunker | 593 |
Draft dasher | A fantasy football owner who drafts a team and abandons it | 593 |
Sleeper | A player drafted late but exceeds expectations | 593 |
RB1 | Starting fantasy running back | 593 |
WR1 | First starting fantasy wide receiver | 593 |
Vulture back | A running back who takes scoring chances from the starter | 593 |
Undroppable | A player who cannot be dropped from a fantasy team | 593 |
Stream | Rotating players in and out of a lineup | 593 |
Bullish | Positive outlook | 593 |
Degen | A gambler who makes foolish bets | 593 |
Mark | A fan who believes pro wrestling is real | 593 |
Pull | To hit a ball to the same side of the field in which you bat | 593 |
OPS | On-base Plus Slugging Percentage | 594 |
Final Four | Last four competitors | 594 |
A | Assists | 594 |
Maddux | Complete game shutout with less than 100 pitches | 594 |
Bases juiced | Baserunners on all three bases | 594 |
Grand Slam | Winning the four major golf tournaments | 594 |
SV | Saves | 594 |
Yakker | Curve ball | 594 |
Togger | Soccer | 594 |
Bruh | Friend | 594 |
Put him on skates | To make a person stumble over himself | 594 |
DNF | Did not finish | 594 |
ADP | Average draft position | 594 |
Busted bracket | A ruined tournament prediction | 594 |
Fish | Casual fantasy sports player | 594 |
Shark | An experienced fantasy sports player | 594 |
Reach | To draft a player too soon | 594 |
Bearish | Negative outlook | 594 |
Ups | Jumping ability | 595 |
MMA | Mixed martial arts | 595 |
Siv | Bad goaltender | 595 |
FOMOF | Fear of missing out on football | 595 |
ALCS | American League Championship Series | 595 |
Dinger | Home run | 595 |
LCS | League Championship Series | 595 |
Ruthian | Powerful | 595 |
Grounder | A baseball hit on the ground | 595 |
Double | Hit that results in the batter getting to second base | 595 |
Triple | Hit that results in the batter getting to third base | 595 |
ppd | Postponed | 595 |
On the screws | Hard hit | 595 |
R | Runs | 595 |
TC | Total chances | 595 |
Bag | A base | 595 |
GSH | Grand Slams | 595 |
Steezy | Style and ease | 595 |
And one | A play where a player is fouled while making a basket | 595 |
MBFA | Make baseball fun again | 595 |
Snowman | Golf score of 8 | 595 |
Hangman | Golf score of 9 | 595 |
Auction draft | A fantasy sports draft where owners bid on players | 595 |
Cooked | Defeated | 595 |
Talking smack | Saying disrespectful things | 595 |
QB | Quarterback | 595 |
Flier | Gamble on a risky player | 595 |
Flyer | Gamble on a risky player | 595 |
Fleecing | Taking advantage of a person through a trade | 595 |
att | Attempts | 595 |
tar | Receiving targets | 595 |
Floor | Downside of a player | 595 |
Ball don't lie | You get what you deserve | 595 |
Put over | Make someone look good | 595 |
Unforced error | An easily-avoidable mistake | 595 |
Posterize | To dunk on an opponent | 595 |
Triple-double | Achieving double digits in three categories in a basketball game | 595 |
def | Defense | 596 |
NFC | National Football Conference | 596 |
Lettuce | Thick, curly, beautiful hair | 596 |
ERA | Earned run average | 596 |
AB | At bat | 596 |
Yard | Home run | 596 |
K | Strikeout | 596 |
SO | Strikeouts | 596 |
ALDS | American League Division Series | 596 |
Bomb | A home run | 596 |
SP | Starting pitcher | 596 |
C | Catcher | 596 |
Meatball | Easy pitch to hit | 596 |
Baltimore chop | Baseball hit that takes a large hop over an infielder | 596 |
1B | First base | 596 |
WAR | Wins Above Replacement | 596 |
ACL | Anterior cruciate ligament | 596 |
Sweet Sixteen | Last 16 teams in a tournament | 596 |
Elite Eight | Last eight teams of March Madness | 596 |
Bracket | Diagram of tournament games | 596 |
E7 | Error made by the left fielder | 596 |
Rubber | Pitcher's plate | 596 |
On deck | Batting second | 596 |
Cellar dweller | A team constantly in last place | 596 |
Shoestring catch | Catch made just above a player's shoes | 596 |
Cellar | Last place | 596 |
Bubble team | A team on the edge of qualifying for a tournament | 596 |
Four bagger | Home run | 596 |
Sweet spot | The part of the bat that provides the best contact | 596 |
Twin killing | Two outs on the same play | 596 |
Turn two | To record a double play | 596 |
Leadoff | First batter in the lineup | 596 |
Cleanup | Player batting fourth in the lineup | 596 |
Hooper | A skilled basketball player | 596 |
fpct | Fielding percentage | 596 |
Two bagger | Double | 596 |
Cheddar | Good fastball | 596 |
Shelled | Beaten badly | 596 |
Round-tripper | Home run | 596 |
OR | Olympic record | 596 |
IOC | International Olympic Committee | 596 |
Rainmaker | High trajectory golf shot | 596 |
Tunneling | Throwing different pitches with a similar trajectory to fool hitters | 596 |
Buzzer beater | A score made as the buzzer sounds | 596 |
Slept | To hit someone hard | 596 |
Foul bait | Acting to get a foul called | 596 |
Drop | A ball dropped from a golfer's outstretched arm | 596 |
BPA | Best player available | 596 |
Albatross | Three strokes under par | 596 |
d | Defense | 596 |
QBBC | Quarterback by committee | 596 |
int | Interception | 596 |
FR | Fumble recovery | 596 |
Damaged goods | A person who has one or more major flaws | 596 |
oprk | Opponent ranking | 596 |
fum | Total fumbles | 596 |
sck | Sacks | 596 |
sfty | Safety | 596 |
Truthiness | Truth based on feelings | 596 |
Minnow | Weak fantasy sports player | 596 |
Woj bomb | A breaking report by Adrian Wojnarowski | 596 |
Get buckets | To dominate | 596 |
Millennial baseball | A baseball strategy of swinging for home runs instead of base hits | 596 |
Zebra | A game official | 596 |
MLBPA | Major League Baseball Players Association | 596 |
LOOGY | Left-handed One Out Guy | 596 |
Cut a promo | Stage a promotional interview | 596 |
On fire | Performing very well | 596 |
Fade | To purposely disregard a player | 596 |
1Q | First quarter | 596 |
CR7 | Cristiano Ronaldo | 596 |
Cannon | An impressive throwing arm | 596 |
FTMFW | For the mother f***ing win | 597 |
HOF | Hall of fame | 597 |
Pick | An interception | 597 |
Clamp | Defensive domination | 597 |
tourney | Tournament | 597 |
Jock | Athlete | 597 |
HGH | Human growth hormone | 597 |
Goon | An unintelligent, often muscular person | 597 |
Unethical hooper | A skilled basketball player who uses annoying tactics | 597 |
WWF | World Wrestling Federation | 597 |
Bomb | A massive wave | 597 |
AFC | American Football Conference | 597 |
USMNT | United States Men's National Team | 597 |
USWNT | United States Women's National Team | 597 |
BB | Bases on balls | 597 |
Breaking ankles | Causing a player to stumble | 597 |
CS | Caught stealing | 597 |
NLCS | National League Championship Series | 597 |
Ace | Best starting pitcher | 597 |
RP | Relief pitcher | 597 |
Ride the pine | Sit on the bench | 597 |
Hot corner | Third base | 597 |
P | Pitcher | 597 |
Web gem | An amazing defensive play | 597 |
Cycle | Single, double, triple, and home run | 597 |
Bloop | Weakly hit fly ball | 597 |
3B | Third base | 597 |
LF | Left field | 597 |
CF | Center field | 597 |
RF | Right field | 597 |
OF | Outfield | 597 |
SS | Shortstop | 597 |
Hockey hair | Long, flowing hair with flipped wings | 597 |
CFP | College Football Playoff | 597 |
De-cleated | Hit very hard | 597 |
TNF | Thursday Night Football | 597 |
Cutting down the nets | Won a basketball tournament | 597 |
Bracketology | Predicting who will win a tournament | 597 |
Tuddy | Touchdown | 597 |
E3 | Error made by the first baseman | 597 |
E4 | Error made by the second baseman | 597 |
E5 | Error made by the third baseman | 597 |
E6 | Error made by the shortstop | 597 |
E8 | Error made by the center fielder | 597 |
E9 | Error made by the right fielder | 597 |
Around the horn | Double play from third to second to first base | 597 |
Double play | Two outs on the same play | 597 |
Triple play | Three outs on the same play | 597 |
Bronx cheer | Noise that signals mockery | 597 |
Brushback | Pitch that almost hits the hitter | 597 |
High and tight | High and inside pitch | 597 |
Pickle | Baserunner stranded between two bases | 597 |
Hotbox | Baserunner stranded between two bases | 597 |
Dish | Home plate | 597 |
Hill | Pitcher's mound | 597 |
In the hole | Batting third | 597 |
Cheese | Good fastball | 597 |
Wheelhouse | Hitter's power zone | 597 |
On the button | Hard hit ball | 597 |
Uncle Charlie | Curve ball | 597 |
Touch em all | Home run | 597 |
WS | World Series | 597 |
LOB | Left on base | 597 |
SF | Sacrifice Flies | 597 |
Heat check | Taking a difficult shot after making several in a row | 597 |
XBH | Extra base hits | 597 |
Locked in | Doing well | 597 |
GS | Games started | 597 |
Grand Slam | A four-run home run | 597 |
Paint the black | To pitch the ball over the edge of home plate | 597 |
Circus catch | Acrobatic catch | 597 |
G | Games played | 597 |
inn | Innings played | 597 |
Three bagger | Triple | 597 |
Annie Oakley | Free pass | 597 |
Charity stripe | Free throw line | 597 |
Rock | A basketball | 597 |
Bases loaded | Baserunners on all three bases | 597 |
HB | Hit batsmen | 597 |
hld | Hold | 597 |
IP | Innings pitched | 597 |
IRA | Inherited runs allowed | 597 |
He's him | He is impressive | 597 |
Lift the silverware | Win a trophy | 597 |
Supersub | A player who often scores as a substitute | 597 |
Grand Slam | Winning the four major tennis tournaments | 597 |
LIPS | Late inning pressured situations | 597 |
RW | Relief wins | 597 |
Breakfast ball | A redo shot from the first tee | 597 |
Fireman | Late-inning relief pitcher | 597 |
Put out fires | Get out of difficult situations | 597 |
Pea | A ball traveling at a high speed | 597 |
Punchout | Strikeout | 597 |
Cutter | A breaking fastball | 597 |
Revenge arc | Quest to get revenge | 597 |
Lumber | Baseball bat | 597 |
Pin-seeker | Golf shot hit straight at the flagstick | 597 |
LANK | Let a naysayer know | 597 |
Worm burner | Very low golf shot | 597 |
Nuked | Hit a golf ball a great distance | 597 |
Alec Guinness | Out-of-bounds | 597 |
natty | National championship | 597 |
Die in the hole | Golf shot that makes it to the hole and falls in | 597 |
Walk-off | A score that instantly wins a game | 597 |
Go deep | Hit a home run | 597 |
Juiced | Muscular from steroids | 597 |
Keeper league | Fantasy sports league where you keep your players | 597 |
RBBC | Running back by committee | 597 |
Serpentine draft | Draft where the last pick in one round is the first in the next | 597 |
Fire sale | When an owner trades players away | 597 |
Own goal | A counterproductive decision | 597 |
Front nine | First nine holes of an 18-hole golf course | 597 |
BABIP | Batting average on balls in play | 597 |
Gimme | Easy golf putt | 597 |
Scratch golfer | A golfer with a handicap of zero | 597 |
Shove | To pitch well | 597 |
KO | Knockout | 597 |
hesi | Hesitation | 597 |
Oppo boppo | Opposite field home run | 597 |
Foul merchant | A player known for drawing fouls | 597 |
IDP | Individual defensive player | 597 |
proj | Projected | 597 |
Flex | Fantasy football position that can be a RB, WR, or TE | 597 |
QB1 | First starting fantasy quarterback | 597 |
Garbage time | Time during a blowout game where strategies change | 597 |
Handles | The ability to handle a basketball | 597 |
PA | Points against | 597 |
Ethical hooper | A basketball player who relies on pure skill to dominate | 597 |
Honnolding | Standing up straight on a narrow ledge with your back to the wall | 597 |
IL | Injured list | 597 |
Heel | Villain | 597 |
Mebound | A rebound by a player from their own missed shot | 597 |
PR | Personal record | 597 |
chip | Championship | 597 |
Hops | Jumping ability | 597 |
Putting on a clinic | Performing exceptionally well | 597 |
oppo | Opposite field | 597 |
Double-double | Achieving double digits in two categories in a basketball game | 597 |
Juicing | Taking performance-enhancing drugs | 597 |
Got that dog in him | Driven to succeed | 597 |
DB | Defensive back | 597 |
PUP | Physically unable to perform | 598 |
Hoops | Basketball | 598 |
HMP | Half marathon pace | 598 |
PED | Performance enhancing drug | 598 |
Circle button | Spin move | 598 |
Deadly | Excellent | 598 |
dub | Win | 598 |
Gentleman's sweep | Winning all the games in a series except one | 598 |
Heater | Fastball | 598 |
Tater trot | Home run trot | 598 |
Southpaw | Left-handed pitcher | 598 |
Homer | Hometown sports fan | 598 |
Jam | To pitch near a batter's hands | 598 |
Line drive | Hard hit baseball in the air | 598 |
Texas Leaguer | Weak fly ball hit to the outfield | 598 |
Sweep | Winning all the games in a series | 598 |
MNF | Monday Night Football | 598 |
OROY | Offensive Rookie of the Year | 598 |
RPI | Ratings Percentage Index | 598 |
E | Errors | 598 |
E1 | Error made by the pitcher | 598 |
Alley oop | A pass to a teammate who puts the ball in the basket | 598 |
Blowing a raspberry | Making a jeering noise | 598 |
Red zone | Area between the 20-yard line and the goal line | 598 |
GIDP | Ground into double play | 598 |
NP | Number of pitches | 598 |
Middy | Mid-range jump shot | 598 |
Table setter | A player who gets on base so other hitters can hit him in | 598 |
Rope | Line drive baseball hit | 598 |
Frozen rope | Line drive baseball hit | 598 |
IBB | Intentional bases on balls | 598 |
OFA | Outfield assists | 598 |
RF | Range factor | 598 |
PB | Passed balls | 598 |
AO | Fly outs | 598 |
4Q | Fourth quarter | 598 |
Golden Slam | Tennis Grand Slam and the Olympics gold medal | 598 |
Super Slam | Tennis Grand Slam and Year-End Championship | 598 |
PA | Plate appearances | 598 |
Backdoor slider | A pitch that breaks over the plate | 598 |
Whiff | Swinging strikeout | 598 |
CGSO | Complete game shutout | 598 |
Par | Number of strokes to complete a golf course hole | 598 |
Pick-six | An interception returned for a touchdown | 598 |
Birdie | One stroke under par | 598 |
Nutmeg | Kicking the ball between an opponent's legs | 598 |
Nineteenth hole | Golf clubhouse bar | 598 |
Go deep | Run a route far downfield | 598 |
Reload | To take another shot after a bad shot | 598 |
OB | Out-of-bounds | 598 |
Nip it | Hit a golf ball cleanly | 598 |
Amelia Earhart | Golf shot that looks good but you can't find | 598 |
Back-door putt | Putt that spins around a hole and drops in | 598 |
Throwing | Losing a winnable game on purpose | 598 |
Danny DeVito | Five foot putt | 598 |
roids | Steroids | 598 |
Squirrel | Tee shot into the rough | 598 |
Bust | A player who does not perform well | 598 |
Breakout | A player who performs surprisingly well | 598 |
Mock draft | Simulated draft | 598 |
Bare lie | A golf ball laying directly on the ground | 598 |
Tight lie | A golf ball laying directly on the ground | 598 |
Double eagle | Three strokes under par | 598 |
Fore | Watch out | 598 |
Handicap | Numerical score that represents a golfer's ability | 598 |
Ready golf | Golfers hit when ready | 598 |
Inward nine | Last nine holes of an 18-hole golf course | 598 |
Mossed | Catching a football over another player | 598 |
Tush push | A play where the quarterback is pushed to gain yards | 598 |
RB2 | Second starting fantasy running back | 598 |
QB2 | Second starting fantasy quarterback | 598 |
WR2 | Second starting fantasy wide receiver | 598 |
WR3 | Third starting fantasy wide receiver | 598 |
Four-peat | Winning a championship four times in a row | 598 |
K | Kicker | 598 |
FPG | Fantasy points per game | 598 |
yds | Yards | 598 |
YAC | Yards after catch | 598 |
YPA | Yards per attempt | 598 |
prk | Position rank | 598 |
i | Interception | 598 |
Three-peat | Winning a championship three times in a row | 598 |
Brotherly shove | A play where the quarterback is shoved to gain yards | 598 |
VAR | Video assistant referee | 598 |
WOAT | Worst of all time | 598 |
Face | Hero | 598 |
celly | Celebration | 598 |
Work | A scripted event | 598 |
Worked shoot | A scripted event that contains unscripted elements | 598 |
Olympic grandma | An old female Olympian | 598 |
OG | Olympic grandma | 598 |
Smark | A fan who knows pro wrestling is scripted | 598 |
Tweener | A wrestler who is neither hero nor villain | 598 |
Ballin | Playing sports well | 598 |
Take the L | Take the loss | 598 |
Stee | Style | 598 |
Yard sale | A bad crash | 598 |
Brick | A shot that squarely clangs off the rim or backboard | 598 |
Bricklayer | A basketball player who is shooting a lot of bricks | 598 |
Dropping dimes | Making difficult passes for assists in basketball | 598 |
Dime | Assist | 598 |
FMVP | Finals Most Valuable Player | 598 |
FKT | Fastest known time | 598 |
R2R | Rim-to-rim | 598 |
Swish | A made shot in basketball that hits only the net | 598 |
Downtown | Beyond the 3-point line | 598 |
Splash | A made shot that only touches the basketball net | 598 |
Jumper | Jump shot | 598 |
Making it rain | Hitting 3-point shots | 598 |
Flop | An exaggerated fall | 598 |
Air ball | A missed shot that doesn't hit the rim or backboard | 598 |
Bucket | A made basketball shot | 598 |
Trey | 3-point shot attempt | 598 |
Ice cold | Shooting poorly | 598 |
pred | Predator | 598 |
Clean sheet | Shutout | 598 |
Rinsed | Defeated | 598 |
CB | Cornerback | 598 |
DST | Defense and Special Teams | 598 |
Coast to coast | The entire length of a playing field | 598 |
3Q | Third quarter | 598 |
EPO | Erythropoietin | 599 |
CG | Complete games | 599 |
DROY | Defensive Rookie of the Year | 599 |
GO | Ground outs | 599 |
2Q | Second quarter | 599 |
bk | Balks | 599 |
AEW | All Elite Wrestling | 599 |
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