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 | 553 |
pts | Points | 563 |
BF | Batters faced | 565 |
Stud | A highly skilled individual | 568 |
W | Win | 573 |
PB | Personal best | 576 |
GOAT | Greatest of all time | 577 |
Clutch | Ability to perform under pressure | 578 |
FF | Fantasy football | 582 |
Skol | Good health | 583 |
Throw the game | Lose the game on purpose | 583 |
WWE | World Wrestling Entertainment | 584 |
DQ | Disqualify | 586 |
ownage | Completely owned | 586 |
Beast mode | Dominating gameplay | 586 |
Ace | Hole in one | 586 |
GF | Games finished | 587 |
WR | Wide receiver | 587 |
LFG | Let's freaking go | 587 |
MLB | Major League Baseball | 588 |
HR | Home run | 588 |
LeBroning | Flopping | 588 |
SB | Super Bowl | 589 |
Handcuff | A fantasy football backup player | 589 |
DFS | Daily Fantasy Sports | 589 |
Ceiling | Upside of a player | 589 |
RBI | Runs batted in | 590 |
Mulligan | Redo | 590 |
FFL | Fantasy football league | 590 |
PPR | Points per reception | 590 |
YPG | Yards per game | 590 |
NHL | National Hockey League | 591 |
DL | Disabled list | 591 |
ROY | Rookie of the Year | 591 |
March Madness | NCAA Basketball Tournament | 591 |
Basebrawl | Baseball brawl | 591 |
Snake draft | Draft where the last pick in one round is the first in the next | 591 |
PF | Points for | 591 |
BOAT | Best of all time | 591 |
ref | Referee | 592 |
stats | Statistics | 592 |
MVP | Most valuable player | 592 |
avg | Batting average | 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 |
Bush league | Amateur play | 592 |
RB | Running back | 592 |
WR1 | First starting fantasy wide receiver | 592 |
TE | Tight end | 592 |
Fanboy | A dedicated male fan | 593 |
WCW | World Championship Wrestling | 593 |
FIFA | Fédération Internationale de Football Association | 593 |
SB | Stolen bases | 593 |
Tater | Home run | 593 |
2B | Second base | 593 |
One and done | Single elimination tournament | 593 |
Chin music | Pitch that nearly hits the batter's head | 593 |
TP | Triple play | 593 |
Victory lap | Golf ball that spins around the hole then falls in | 593 |
ADP | Average draft position | 593 |
Sleeper | A player drafted late but exceeds expectations | 593 |
RB1 | Starting fantasy running back | 593 |
Fish | Casual fantasy sports player | 593 |
Half-PPR | Half-point per reception league | 593 |
Mark | A fan who believes pro wrestling is real | 593 |
NBA | National Basketball Association | 594 |
WC | World Cup | 594 |
L | Losses | 594 |
ship | Championship | 594 |
IR | Injured reserve | 594 |
Bracket buster | A team that upsets a highly ranked team | 594 |
Mendoza line | .200 batting average | 594 |
Steeze | Style and ease | 594 |
Put him on skates | To make a person stumble over himself | 594 |
WR | World record | 594 |
DNF | Did not finish | 594 |
Saddam Hussein | Golf shot from one bunker into another bunker | 594 |
Draft dasher | A fantasy football owner who drafts a team and abandons it | 594 |
Honors | Hit first from the tee in golf | 594 |
Vulture back | A running back who takes scoring chances from the starter | 594 |
rec | Receptions | 594 |
Shark | An experienced fantasy sports player | 594 |
Stream | Rotating players in and out of a lineup | 594 |
Reach | To draft a player too soon | 594 |
Kayfabe | Pretending something fake is real | 594 |
OT | Overtime | 595 |
Ups | Jumping ability | 595 |
SO | Strikeouts | 595 |
FOMOF | Fear of missing out on football | 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 |
ppd | Postponed | 595 |
Final Four | Last four competitors | 595 |
JAG | Just a guy | 595 |
Bases juiced | Baserunners on all three bases | 595 |
Grand Slam | Winning the four major golf tournaments | 595 |
Texas wedge | Putt from off the green | 595 |
Waiver hawk | A fantasy sports owner who patrols the waiver wire | 595 |
QB | Quarterback | 595 |
QB1 | First starting fantasy quarterback | 595 |
Flier | Gamble on a risky player | 595 |
Ghostship | A fantasy football team with no owner | 595 |
Trade bait | A good player that entices other teams to trade for him | 595 |
Undroppable | A player who cannot be dropped from a fantasy team | 595 |
Bearish | Negative outlook | 595 |
Bullish | Positive outlook | 595 |
Put over | Make someone look good | 595 |
CR7 | Cristiano Ronaldo | 595 |
def | Defense | 596 |
MMA | Mixed martial arts | 596 |
NLDS | National League Division Series | 596 |
Homer | Home run | 596 |
Single | Hit that results in the batter getting to first base | 596 |
OPS | On-base Plus Slugging Percentage | 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 |
DP | Double play | 596 |
A | Assists | 596 |
R | Runs | 596 |
Paint the corner | To pitch the ball over the edge of home plate | 596 |
DER | Defensive Efficiency Rating | 596 |
Steezy | Style and ease | 596 |
Snowman | Golf score of 8 | 596 |
Slept | To hit someone hard | 596 |
Albatross | Three strokes under par | 596 |
d | Defense | 596 |
Flyer | Gamble on a risky player | 596 |
att | Attempts | 596 |
fum | Total fumbles | 596 |
sck | Sacks | 596 |
Truthiness | Truth based on feelings | 596 |
Minnow | Weak fantasy sports player | 596 |
Floor | Downside of a player | 596 |
Get buckets | To dominate | 596 |
Cut a promo | Stage a promotional interview | 596 |
Washed | No longer good | 596 |
FTMFW | For the mother f***ing win | 597 |
Jock | Athlete | 597 |
Siv | Bad goaltender | 597 |
NFC | National Football Conference | 597 |
AFC | American Football Conference | 597 |
USWNT | United States Women's National Team | 597 |
AB | At bat | 597 |
Dinger | Home run | 597 |
Mash | To hit a baseball well | 597 |
Ruthian | Powerful | 597 |
Meatball | Easy pitch to hit | 597 |
Bloop | Weakly hit fly ball | 597 |
3B | Third base | 597 |
RF | Right field | 597 |
Bracket | Diagram of tournament games | 597 |
Breaking ankles | Causing a player to stumble | 597 |
E4 | Error made by the second baseman | 597 |
On the screws | Hard hit | 597 |
Circus catch | Acrobatic catch | 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 |
Shelled | Beaten badly | 597 |
And one | A play where a player is fouled while making a basket | 597 |
MBFA | Make baseball fun again | 597 |
IOC | International Olympic Committee | 597 |
Hangman | Golf score of 9 | 597 |
Auction draft | Draft where owners bid on players | 597 |
Drop | A ball dropped from a golfer's outstretched arm | 597 |
Flex | Fantasy football position that can be a RB, WR, or TE | 597 |
QBBC | Quarterback by committee | 597 |
int | Interception | 597 |
FR | Fumble recovery | 597 |
Damaged goods | A person who has one or more major flaws | 597 |
Fleecing | Taking advantage of a person through a trade | 597 |
oprk | Opponent ranking | 597 |
tar | Receiving targets | 597 |
sfty | Safety | 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 |
Heel | Villain | 597 |
Degen | A gambler who makes foolish bets | 597 |
Unforced error | An easily-avoidable mistake | 597 |
On fire | Performing very well | 597 |
Take the L | Take the loss | 597 |
Posterize | To dunk on an opponent | 597 |
Fade | To purposely disregard a player | 597 |
Got that dog in him | Driven to succeed | 597 |
HOF | Hall of fame | 598 |
tourney | Tournament | 598 |
HMP | Half marathon pace | 598 |
Owned | Dominated | 598 |
WWF | World Wrestling Federation | 598 |
ERA | Earned run average | 598 |
Yard | Home run | 598 |
CS | Caught stealing | 598 |
ALCS | American League Championship Series | 598 |
SP | Starting pitcher | 598 |
RP | Relief pitcher | 598 |
LCS | League Championship Series | 598 |
Ride the pine | Sit on the bench | 598 |
Handles | The ability to handle a basketball | 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 |
OF | Outfield | 598 |
CFP | College Football Playoff | 598 |
Own goal | A counterproductive decision | 598 |
TNF | Thursday Night Football | 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 |
E3 | Error made by the first baseman | 598 |
E5 | Error made by the third baseman | 598 |
E6 | Error made by the shortstop | 598 |
E7 | Error made by the left fielder | 598 |
Rock | A basketball | 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 |
Three-peat | Winning a championship three times in a row | 598 |
Turn two | To record a double play | 598 |
Leadoff | First batter in the lineup | 598 |
Cleanup | Player batting fourth in the lineup | 598 |
Maddux | Complete game shutout with less than 100 pitches | 598 |
fpct | Fielding percentage | 598 |
G | Games played | 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 |
Punchout | Strikeout | 598 |
Hockey hair | Long, flowing hair with flipped wings | 598 |
Togger | Soccer | 598 |
Round-tripper | Home run | 598 |
OR | Olympic record | 598 |
Worm burner | Very low golf shot | 598 |
Rainmaker | High trajectory golf shot | 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 |
IDP | Individual defensive player | 598 |
proj | Projected | 598 |
ST | Special teams | 598 |
yds | Yards | 598 |
YPA | Yards per attempt | 598 |
Zebra | A game official | 598 |
celly | Celebration | 598 |
OG | Olympic grandma | 598 |
PR | Personal record | 598 |
Brick | A shot that squarely clangs off the rim or backboard | 598 |
Dime | Assist | 598 |
FKT | Fastest known time | 598 |
Downtown | Beyond the 3-point line | 598 |
Jumper | Jump shot | 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 |
Trey | 3-point shot attempt | 598 |
De-cleated | Hit very hard | 598 |
Rinsed | Defeated | 598 |
Juicing | Taking performance-enhancing drugs | 598 |
3Q | Third quarter | 598 |
1Q | First quarter | 598 |
OTB | Off the board | 599 |
pl8 | Plate | 599 |
PED | Performance enhancing drug | 599 |
HGH | Human growth hormone | 599 |
Circle button | Spin move | 599 |
USMNT | United States Men's National Team | 599 |
j | Jump shot | 599 |
BB | Bases on balls | 599 |
Heater | Fastball | 599 |
ALDS | American League Division Series | 599 |
Revenge arc | Quest to get revenge | 599 |
Ace | Best starting pitcher | 599 |
C | Catcher | 599 |
Hot corner | Third base | 599 |
Southpaw | Left-handed pitcher | 599 |
Homer | Hometown sports fan | 599 |
LF | Left field | 599 |
SS | Shortstop | 599 |
MNF | Monday Night Football | 599 |
E1 | Error made by the pitcher | 599 |
Alley oop | A pass to a teammate who puts the ball in the basket | 599 |
Four-peat | Winning a championship four times in a row | 599 |
Throwing | Losing a winnable game on purpose | 599 |
Bronx cheer | Noise that signals mockery | 599 |
Deadly | Excellent | 599 |
High and tight | High and inside pitch | 599 |
CGSO | Complete game shutout | 599 |
Leather | Defense ability | 599 |
Dish | Home plate | 599 |
Nutmeg | Kicking the ball between an opponent's legs | 599 |
In the hole | Batting third | 599 |
Coast to coast | The entire length of a playing field | 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 |
XBH | Extra base hits | 599 |
Grand Slam | A four-run home run | 599 |
Four bagger | Home run | 599 |
Paint the black | To pitch the ball over the edge of home plate | 599 |
Sweet spot | The part of the bat that provides the best contact | 599 |
Twin killing | Double play | 599 |
IBB | Intentional bases on balls | 599 |
PB | Passed balls | 599 |
Three bagger | Triple | 599 |
Golden Slam | Tennis Grand Slam and the Olympics gold medal | 599 |
Super Slam | Tennis Grand Slam and Year-End Championship | 599 |
LIPS | Late inning pressured situations | 599 |
RW | Relief wins | 599 |
Lettuce | Thick, curly, beautiful hair | 599 |
Put out fires | Get out of difficult situations | 599 |
Pea | A ball traveling at a high speed | 599 |
Yakker | Curve ball | 599 |
Pin-seeker | Golf shot hit straight at the flagstick | 599 |
OB | Out-of-bounds | 599 |
Alec Guinness | Out-of-bounds | 599 |
Back-door putt | Putt that spins around a hole and drops in | 599 |
Serpentine draft | Draft where the last pick in one round is the first in the next | 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 |
Scratch golfer | A golfer with a handicap of zero | 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 |
FPG | Fantasy points per game | 599 |
YAC | Yards after catch | 599 |
Garbage time | Time during a blowout game where strategies change | 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 |
Work | A scripted event | 599 |
Worked shoot | A scripted event that contains unscripted elements | 599 |
Olympic grandma | An old female Olympian | 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 |
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 |
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 |
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 |
Bucket | A made basketball shot | 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 |
CB | Cornerback | 599 |
DB | Defensive back | 599 |
DST | Defense and Special Teams | 599 |
2Q | Second quarter | 599 |
4Q | Fourth quarter | 599 |
EPO | Erythropoietin | 600 |
NWO | New World Order | 600 |
FOMOH | Fear of missing out on hockey | 600 |
Ribby | Run batted in | 600 |
Bomb | Home run | 600 |
P | Pitcher | 600 |
Cycle | Single, double, triple, and home run | 600 |
DROY | Defensive Rookie of the Year | 600 |
RPI | Ratings Percentage Index | 600 |
E | Errors | 600 |
E9 | Error made by the right fielder | 600 |
Hotbox | Baserunner stranded between two bases | 600 |
Uncle Charlie | Curve ball | 600 |
LOB | Left on base | 600 |
GS | Games started | 600 |
inn | Innings played | 600 |
bk | Balks | 600 |
Backdoor slider | A pitch that breaks over the plate | 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 |
Squirrel | Tee shot into the rough | 600 |
Keeper league | Fantasy sports league where you keep your players | 600 |
Bare lie | A golf ball laying directly on the ground | 600 |
Double eagle | Three strokes under par | 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 |
Shoot | An unscripted event | 600 |
chip | Championship | 600 |
Boards | Rebounds | 600 |
Hoops | Basketball | 601 |
K | Strikeout | 601 |
Jam | To pitch near a batter's hands | 601 |
Blowing a raspberry | Making a jeering noise | 601 |
Cheese | Good fastball | 601 |
Wheelhouse | Hitter's power zone | 601 |
Touch em all | Home run | 601 |
Frozen rope | Line drive baseball hit | 601 |
RF | Range factor | 601 |
CGL | Complete game losses | 601 |
PA | Plate appearances | 601 |
Bush | Amateur play | 601 |
Flow | Long, thick, luscious hair | 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 |
Back nine | Last nine holes of an 18-hole golf course | 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 |
K | Kicker | 601 |
PVO | Position vs. opponent | 601 |
PPR | Possible points remaining | 601 |
Rib | Run batted in | 602 |
CG | Complete games | 602 |
HBP | Hit by pitch | 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 |
Triple bogey | Three strokes over par | 602 |
Sandbagger | A golfer who plays better than he claims | 602 |
Sunday ball | A do-over golf shot | 602 |
Tester | A putt that tests a golfer's skill | 602 |
Velcro | Slow green | 602 |
Divot | Chunk of grass and soil | 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 |
Dogleg right | A golf hole with a fairway that has a bend to the right | 602 |
Mickelson | To hit a golf ball while it is still moving | 602 |
ret | Kick or punt returner | 602 |
James Joyce | Putt that is hard to read | 603 |
Donk | Donkey | 603 |
TTTHCS | Things that Tim Howard could save | 604 |
NLCS | National League Championship Series | 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 |
PO | Putouts | 600 |
Rope | Line drive baseball hit | 600 |
sac | Sacrifice bunts | 600 |
OFA | Outfield assists | 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 |
Boxed set | Singles, doubles, and mixed doubles Grand Slam | 600 |
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