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 | 547 |
| pts | Points | 559 |
| Stud | A highly skilled individual | 563 |
| BF | Batters faced | 565 |
| GOAT | Greatest of all time | 566 |
| W | Win | 568 |
| Clutch | Ability to perform under pressure | 570 |
| PB | Personal best | 575 |
| Skol | Good health | 578 |
| Throw the game | Lose the game on purpose | 578 |
| FF | Fantasy football | 579 |
| DQ | Disqualify | 582 |
| MLB | Major League Baseball | 582 |
| Ace | Hole in one | 582 |
| ownage | Completely owned | 583 |
| Beast mode | Dominating gameplay | 583 |
| GF | Games finished | 583 |
| NBA | National Basketball Association | 584 |
| RBI | Runs batted in | 584 |
| Ceiling | Upside of a player | 584 |
| MVP | Most valuable player | 585 |
| WWE | World Wrestling Entertainment | 585 |
| HR | Home run | 585 |
| Tater | Home run | 585 |
| Basebrawl | Baseball brawl | 585 |
| ROY | Rookie of the Year | 586 |
| Mulligan | Redo | 586 |
| March Madness | NCAA Basketball Tournament | 586 |
| WR | Wide receiver | 586 |
| DFS | Daily Fantasy Sports | 586 |
| SB | Super Bowl | 587 |
| L | Losses | 587 |
| Closer | A relief pitcher that finishes a baseball game | 587 |
| LFG | Let's freaking go | 587 |
| NHL | National Hockey League | 588 |
| avg | Batting average | 588 |
| Chin music | Pitch that nearly hits the batter's head | 588 |
| Mendoza line | .200 batting average | 588 |
| Rundown | Baserunner stranded between two bases | 588 |
| Set the table | To get on base so other hitters can score the baserunners | 588 |
| Bush league | Amateur play | 588 |
| FFL | Fantasy football league | 588 |
| YPG | Yards per game | 588 |
| 2B | Second base | 589 |
| DL | Disabled list | 589 |
| Can of corn | An easy catch by a fielder | 589 |
| Handcuff | A fantasy football backup player | 589 |
| ref | Referee | 590 |
| stats | Statistics | 590 |
| SB | Stolen bases | 590 |
| IR | Injured reserve | 590 |
| Bracket buster | A team that upsets a highly ranked team | 590 |
| Victory lap | Golf ball that spins around the hole then falls in | 590 |
| Sweeper | A breaking ball that sweeps horizontally | 590 |
| RB | Running back | 590 |
| TE | Tight end | 590 |
| Trade bait | A good player that entices other teams to trade for him | 590 |
| rec | Receptions | 590 |
| PF | Points for | 590 |
| Bullish | Positive outlook | 590 |
| Kayfabe | Pretending something fake is real | 590 |
| Washed | No longer good | 590 |
| WCW | World Championship Wrestling | 591 |
| LeBroning | Flopping | 591 |
| NLDS | National League Division Series | 591 |
| One and done | A single elimination tournament | 591 |
| Leather | Defense ability | 591 |
| DP | Double play | 591 |
| TP | Triple play | 591 |
| Snake draft | Draft where the last pick in one round is the first in the next | 591 |
| Sleeper | A player drafted late but exceeds expectations | 591 |
| Honors | Hit first from the tee in golf | 591 |
| Ghostship | A fantasy football team with no owner | 591 |
| Pull | To hit a ball to the same side of the field in which you bat | 591 |
| BOAT | Best of all time | 591 |
| OT | Overtime | 592 |
| Fanboy | A dedicated male fan | 592 |
| WC | World Cup | 592 |
| FIFA | Fédération Internationale de Football Association | 592 |
| Homer | Home run | 592 |
| Wheels | Fast legs | 592 |
| Single | Hit that results in the batter getting to first base | 592 |
| SLG | Slugging percentage | 592 |
| Cinderella | Underdog sports team | 592 |
| Final Four | Last four competitors | 592 |
| Paint the corner | To pitch the ball over the edge of home plate | 592 |
| WR | World record | 592 |
| Saddam Hussein | Golf shot from one bunker into another bunker | 592 |
| Texas wedge | Putt from off the green | 592 |
| Waiver hawk | A fantasy sports owner who patrols the waiver wire | 592 |
| PPR | Points per reception | 592 |
| Bearish | Negative outlook | 592 |
| Mark | A fan who believes pro wrestling is real | 592 |
| Triple-double | Achieving double digits in three categories in a basketball game | 592 |
| Busted bracket | A ruined tournament prediction | 593 |
| LCS | League Championship Series | 593 |
| OPS | On-base Plus Slugging Percentage | 593 |
| On the screws | Hard hit | 593 |
| A | Assists | 593 |
| Bases juiced | Baserunners on all three bases | 593 |
| Grand Slam | Winning the four major golf tournaments | 593 |
| Draft dasher | A fantasy football owner who drafts a team and abandons it | 593 |
| Fleecing | Taking advantage of a person through a trade | 593 |
| Half-PPR | Half-point per reception league | 593 |
| Jock | An athlete | 594 |
| MMA | Mixed martial arts | 594 |
| FOMOF | Fear of missing out on football | 594 |
| ALCS | American League Championship Series | 594 |
| Dinger | Home run | 594 |
| Mash | To hit a baseball well | 594 |
| Cooked | Defeated | 594 |
| Ruthian | Powerful | 594 |
| Grounder | A baseball hit on the ground | 594 |
| Double | Hit that results in the batter getting to second base | 594 |
| Triple | Hit that results in the batter getting to third base | 594 |
| ship | Championship | 594 |
| ppd | Postponed | 594 |
| R | Runs | 594 |
| JAG | Just a guy | 594 |
| TC | Total chances | 594 |
| Bag | A base | 594 |
| SV | Saves | 594 |
| Yakker | Curve ball | 594 |
| Steeze | Style and ease | 594 |
| And one | A play where a player is fouled while making a basket | 594 |
| DNF | Did not finish | 594 |
| Ball don't lie | You get what you deserve | 594 |
| Snowman | Golf score of 8 | 594 |
| BPA | Best player available | 594 |
| QB | Quarterback | 594 |
| RB1 | Starting fantasy running back | 594 |
| WR1 | First starting fantasy wide receiver | 594 |
| Talking smack | Saying disrespectful things | 594 |
| Vulture back | A running back who takes scoring chances from the starter | 594 |
| att | Attempts | 594 |
| Undroppable | A player who cannot be dropped from a fantasy team | 594 |
| Stream | Rotating players in and out of a lineup | 594 |
| Unforced error | An easily-avoidable mistake | 594 |
| CR7 | Cristiano Ronaldo | 594 |
| def | Defense | 595 |
| Ups | Jumping ability | 595 |
| H1 | First half | 595 |
| Ethical hooper | A basketball player who relies on pure skill to dominate | 595 |
| Bubble team | A team on the edge of qualifying for a tournament | 595 |
| Four bagger | Home run | 595 |
| Circus catch | An acrobatic catch | 595 |
| Maddux | Complete game shutout with less than 100 pitches | 595 |
| DER | Defensive Efficiency Rating | 595 |
| Togger | Soccer | 595 |
| Bruh | Friend | 595 |
| Put him on skates | To make a person stumble over himself | 595 |
| ADP | Average draft position | 595 |
| Tunneling | Throwing different pitches with a similar trajectory to fool hitters | 595 |
| tar | Receiving targets | 595 |
| Fish | Casual fantasy sports player | 595 |
| Shark | An experienced fantasy sports player | 595 |
| Reach | To draft a player too soon | 595 |
| Floor | Downside of a player | 595 |
| Woj bomb | A breaking report by Adrian Wojnarowski | 595 |
| Posterize | To dunk on an opponent | 595 |
| HOF | Hall of fame | 596 |
| Siv | Bad goaltender | 596 |
| NFC | National Football Conference | 596 |
| ERA | Earned run average | 596 |
| AB | At bat | 596 |
| K | Strikeout | 596 |
| SO | Strikeouts | 596 |
| ALDS | American League Division Series | 596 |
| Bomb | A home run | 596 |
| SP | Starting pitcher | 596 |
| Hot corner | Third base | 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 |
| 1Q | First quarter | 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 |
| Brushback | A pitch that almost hits the hitter | 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 |
| 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 |
| fpct | Fielding percentage | 596 |
| Two bagger | Double | 596 |
| GSH | Grand Slams | 596 |
| Lettuce | Thick, curly, beautiful hair | 596 |
| Backdoor slider | A pitch that breaks over the plate | 596 |
| Cheddar | Good fastball | 596 |
| Rock | A basketball | 596 |
| Shelled | Beaten badly | 596 |
| Round-tripper | Home run | 596 |
| Steezy | Style and ease | 596 |
| MBFA | Make baseball fun again | 596 |
| OR | Olympic record | 596 |
| IOC | International Olympic Committee | 596 |
| Rainmaker | High trajectory golf shot | 596 |
| Hangman | Golf score of 9 | 596 |
| Tuddy | Touchdown | 596 |
| Breaking ankles | Causing a player to stumble | 596 |
| Auction draft | A fantasy sports draft where owners bid on players | 596 |
| Slept | To hit someone hard | 596 |
| Buzzer beater | A score made as the buzzer sounds | 596 |
| Drop | A ball dropped from a golfer's outstretched arm | 596 |
| Foul bait | Acting to get a foul called | 596 |
| Albatross | Three strokes under par | 596 |
| Flier | Gamble on a risky player | 596 |
| Flyer | Gamble on a risky player | 596 |
| QBBC | Quarterback by committee | 596 |
| int | Interception | 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 |
| 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 |
| Cannon | An impressive throwing arm | 596 |
| FTMFW | For the mother f***ing win | 597 |
| Brotherly shove | A play where the quarterback is shoved to gain yards | 597 |
| tourney | Tournament | 597 |
| ASG | All-Star Game | 597 |
| HGH | Human growth hormone | 597 |
| Bomb | A massive wave | 597 |
| WWF | World Wrestling Federation | 597 |
| AFC | American Football Conference | 597 |
| De-cleated | Hit very hard | 597 |
| USMNT | United States Men's National Team | 597 |
| USWNT | United States Women's National Team | 597 |
| Walk-off | A score that instantly wins a game | 597 |
| BB | Bases on balls | 597 |
| Gentleman's sweep | Winning all the games in a series except one | 597 |
| Own goal | A counterproductive decision | 597 |
| Yard | Home run | 597 |
| CS | Caught stealing | 597 |
| NLCS | National League Championship Series | 597 |
| Ace | Best starting pitcher | 597 |
| RP | Relief pitcher | 597 |
| C | Catcher | 597 |
| Ride the pine | Sit on the bench | 597 |
| P | Pitcher | 597 |
| Southpaw | Left-handed pitcher | 597 |
| Cycle | Single, double, triple, and home run | 597 |
| Bloop | Weakly hit fly ball | 597 |
| 3B | Third base | 597 |
| Foul merchant | A player known for drawing fouls | 597 |
| LF | Left field | 597 |
| CF | Center field | 597 |
| RF | Right field | 597 |
| OF | Outfield | 597 |
| SS | Shortstop | 597 |
| CFP | College Football Playoff | 597 |
| TNF | Thursday Night Football | 597 |
| Cutting down the nets | Won a basketball tournament | 597 |
| Bracketology | Predicting who will win a tournament | 597 |
| Pick | An interception | 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 |
| High and tight | High and inside pitch | 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 |
| LANK | Let a naysayer know | 597 |
| XBH | Extra base hits | 597 |
| Heat check | Taking a difficult shot after making several in a row | 597 |
| GS | Games started | 597 |
| Web gem | An amazing defensive play | 597 |
| Grand Slam | A four-run home run | 597 |
| Paint the black | To pitch the ball over the edge of home plate | 597 |
| hesi | Hesitation | 597 |
| G | Games played | 597 |
| inn | Innings played | 597 |
| Three bagger | Triple | 597 |
| Annie Oakley | Free pass | 597 |
| AO | Fly outs | 597 |
| Charity stripe | Free throw line | 597 |
| Handles | The ability to handle a basketball | 597 |
| GO | Ground outs | 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 |
| 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 |
| Big L | Major failure | 597 |
| RW | Relief wins | 597 |
| He's him | He is impressive | 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 |
| Pin-seeker | Golf shot hit straight at the flagstick | 597 |
| Breakfast ball | A redo shot from the first tee | 597 |
| Worm burner | Very low golf shot | 597 |
| Lumber | Baseball bat | 597 |
| Nuked | Hit a golf ball a great distance | 597 |
| Juiced | Muscular from steroids | 597 |
| Alec Guinness | Out-of-bounds | 597 |
| Die in the hole | Golf shot that makes it to the hole and falls in | 597 |
| natty | National championship | 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 |
| Mebound | A rebound by a player from their own missed shot | 597 |
| Front nine | First nine holes of an 18-hole golf course | 597 |
| Gimme | Easy golf putt | 597 |
| Scratch golfer | A golfer with a handicap of zero | 597 |
| Go deep | Hit a home run | 597 |
| Locked in | Doing well | 597 |
| Shove | To pitch well | 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 |
| d | Defense | 597 |
| Garbage time | Time during a blowout game where strategies change | 597 |
| Hockey hair | Long, flowing hair with flipped wings | 597 |
| Clamp | Defensive domination | 597 |
| Oppo boppo | Opposite field home run | 597 |
| BABIP | Batting average on balls in play | 597 |
| Honnolding | Standing up straight on a narrow ledge with your back to the wall | 597 |
| IL | Injured list | 597 |
| Put over | Make someone look good | 597 |
| Heel | Villain | 597 |
| Degen | A gambler who makes foolish bets | 597 |
| PR | Personal record | 597 |
| Ballin | Playing sports well | 597 |
| Take the L | Take the loss | 597 |
| chip | Championship | 597 |
| Brick | A shot that squarely clangs off the rim or backboard | 597 |
| Hops | Jumping ability | 597 |
| Putting on a clinic | Performing exceptionally well | 597 |
| oppo | Opposite field | 597 |
| Unethical hooper | A skilled basketball player who uses annoying tactics | 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 |
| Hoops | Basketball | 598 |
| HMP | Half marathon pace | 598 |
| Pop out | To hit a fly ball out | 598 |
| PED | Performance enhancing drug | 598 |
| Dot | A perfect throw | 598 |
| PUP | Physically unable to perform | 598 |
| Circle button | Spin move | 598 |
| KO | Knockout | 598 |
| 4Q | Fourth quarter | 598 |
| Heater | A fastball | 598 |
| First Four | First four games of the tournament | 598 |
| Tater trot | Home run trot | 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 |
| MNF | Monday Night Football | 598 |
| Ego lifting | Lifting too heavy to impress others | 598 |
| H2 | Second half | 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 |
| Tush push | A play where the quarterback is pushed to gain yards | 598 |
| Pickle | Baserunner stranded between two bases | 598 |
| GIDP | Ground into double play | 598 |
| NP | Number of pitches | 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 |
| Mossed | Catching a football over another player | 598 |
| 3Q | Third quarter | 598 |
| Golden Slam | Tennis Grand Slam and the Olympics gold medal | 598 |
| Super Slam | Tennis Grand Slam and Year-End Championship | 598 |
| Whiff | Swinging strikeout | 598 |
| Par | Number of strokes to complete a golf course hole | 598 |
| Birdie | One stroke under par | 598 |
| Deadly | Excellent | 598 |
| Coast to coast | The entire length of a playing field | 598 |
| Nineteenth hole | Golf clubhouse bar | 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 |
| Red zone | Area between the 20-yard line and the goal line | 598 |
| Pick-six | An interception returned for a touchdown | 598 |
| Middy | Mid-range jump shot | 598 |
| Danny DeVito | Five foot putt | 598 |
| CGSO | Complete game shutout | 598 |
| Squirrel | Tee shot into the rough | 598 |
| Nutmeg | Kicking the ball between an opponent's legs | 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 |
| roids | Steroids | 598 |
| Throwing | Losing a winnable game on purpose | 598 |
| Double eagle | Three strokes under par | 598 |
| Fore | Watch out | 598 |
| Go deep | Run a route far downfield | 598 |
| Handicap | Numerical score that represents a golfer's ability | 598 |
| Ready golf | Golfers hit when ready | 598 |
| dub | Win | 598 |
| Inward nine | Last nine holes of an 18-hole golf course | 598 |
| Soft benching | Benching a player without criticizing their play | 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 |
| K | Kicker | 598 |
| FPG | Fantasy points per game | 598 |
| yds | Yards | 598 |
| YAC | Yards after catch | 598 |
| FR | Fumble recovery | 598 |
| YPA | Yards per attempt | 598 |
| prk | Position rank | 598 |
| Four-peat | Winning a championship four times in a row | 598 |
| PA | Points against | 598 |
| i | Interception | 598 |
| VAR | Video assistant referee | 598 |
| WOAT | Worst of all time | 598 |
| Face | Hero | 598 |
| celly | Celebration | 598 |
| Sweep | Winning all the games in a series | 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 |
| Stee | Style | 598 |
| Yard sale | A bad crash | 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 |
| Benchwarmer | A person present but not actively participating | 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 |
| The big dance | NCAA Basketball Tournament | 598 |
| Clean sheet | Shutout | 598 |
| DST | Defense and Special Teams | 598 |
| Rinsed | Defeated | 598 |
| CB | Cornerback | 598 |
Results limited to 500. View complete list.