View Full Version : Beckham's British Fans Baffled By US Commentators!
MLS1FAN
14 Sep 2007, 09:54 AM
An unexpected by-product of David Beckham's American odyssey is that British fans keen to monitor the progress of the England midfielder via TV are finding themselves puzzled by some of the phrases used by US match commentators.
Terms that amuse, amaze or confuse British audiences. Mark Gilbert of The Sun prepared the following glossary of terms aired on US TV during recent MLS (Major League Soccer) matches:
Bulldogging: A player showing determination to win the ball back.
Chicken Wing Battle: Two players challenging for the ball and using their arms and elbows to do so.
Final Signal: Final whistle.
In the Wheelhouse: Within easy reach of the goalkeeper.
Knock Like A Bear Kiss: A tackle that looks bad but is just clumsy rather than dangerous or malicious.
Match-ups: Man-for-man marking.
Midfield Stripe: The half-way line.
On Frame: A shot that is on target.
On the Doorstep: In front of the goal.
Real Estate: The space (or lack of it) in the penalty area.
On the Diagonal Surface: A cross-field pass, a la Beckham.
Slow Roller: A weak shot at goal.
Some Wheels: A burst of pace.
Southpaw: A left-footed player.
Stutter-Step: A Cristiano Ronaldo-style step-over.
Takeaway: An interception or tackle that sees the tackler emerge with the ball.
Upload: Kick the ball with full power.
http://goal.com/en-US/articolo.aspx?contenutoid=412623
metros11
14 Sep 2007, 10:04 AM
An unexpected by-product of David Beckham's American odyssey is that British fans keen to monitor the progress of the England midfielder via TV are finding themselves puzzled by some of the phrases used by US match commentators.
Terms that amuse, amaze or confuse British audiences. Mark Gilbert of The Sun prepared the following glossary of terms aired on US TV during recent MLS (Major League Soccer) matches:
Bulldogging: A player showing determination to win the ball back.
Chicken Wing Battle: Two players challenging for the ball and using their arms and elbows to do so.
Final Signal: Final whistle.
In the Wheelhouse: Within easy reach of the goalkeeper.
Knock Like A Bear Kiss: A tackle that looks bad but is just clumsy rather than dangerous or malicious.
Match-ups: Man-for-man marking.
Midfield Stripe: The half-way line.
On Frame: A shot that is on target.
On the Doorstep: In front of the goal.
Real Estate: The space (or lack of it) in the penalty area.
On the Diagonal Surface: A cross-field pass, a la Beckham.
Slow Roller: A weak shot at goal.
Some Wheels: A burst of pace.
Southpaw: A left-footed player.
Stutter-Step: A Cristiano Ronaldo-style step-over.
Takeaway: An interception or tackle that sees the tackler emerge with the ball.
Upload: Kick the ball with full power.
http://goal.com/en-US/articolo.aspx?contenutoid=412623
I've been watching MLS for 11 years and never heard 75% of those terms. What else can you expect from The SUN.
GutBomb
14 Sep 2007, 10:09 AM
I've been watching MLS for 11 years and never heard 75% of those terms. What else can you expect from The SUN.
The Sun just ripped these off from the brit version of David Beckham's Soccer USA anyway.
equus
14 Sep 2007, 10:12 AM
An unexpected by-product of David Beckham's American odyssey is that British fans keen to monitor the progress of the England midfielder via TV are finding themselves puzzled by some of the phrases used by US match commentators.
Terms that amuse, amaze or confuse British audiences. Mark Gilbert of The Sun prepared the following glossary of terms aired on US TV during recent MLS (Major League Soccer) matches:
Bulldogging: A player showing determination to win the ball back.
Chicken Wing Battle: Two players challenging for the ball and using their arms and elbows to do so.
Final Signal: Final whistle.
In the Wheelhouse: Within easy reach of the goalkeeper.
Knock Like A Bear Kiss: A tackle that looks bad but is just clumsy rather than dangerous or malicious.
Match-ups: Man-for-man marking.
Midfield Stripe: The half-way line.
On Frame: A shot that is on target.
On the Doorstep: In front of the goal.
Real Estate: The space (or lack of it) in the penalty area.
On the Diagonal Surface: A cross-field pass, a la Beckham.
Slow Roller: A weak shot at goal.
Some Wheels: A burst of pace.
Southpaw: A left-footed player.
Stutter-Step: A Cristiano Ronaldo-style step-over.
Takeaway: An interception or tackle that sees the tackler emerge with the ball.
Upload: Kick the ball with full power.
http://goal.com/en-US/articolo.aspx?contenutoid=412623
What about "TOP BODY STRIKE" or "QUADRANT RESTART"?
/loves "Boston Goals"... :D
Kot Matroskin
14 Sep 2007, 10:44 AM
I've never heard half these terms, and some of the ones I've heard aren't defined/used properly, e.g. "in the wheelhouse", which comes from baseball and means a pitched ball that comes right through a hitter's power zone.
[Edit: I mean misused by the commentator. Yes, it could mean "easy", but it doesn't make any sense in soccer.]
There's one legitimate one that probably sounds funny to Brits: a takeaway.
In England, "takeaway" = "take out", as in food. They probably laugh when they hear it applied to a player dispossession. :)
[Edit: When China play, watch out for "Chinese Takeaway! :)]
Kaiser
14 Sep 2007, 11:27 AM
"climb the ladder!"
Bulldogging: A player showing determination to win the ball back.
Chicken Wing Battle: Two players challenging for the ball and using their arms and elbows to do so.
In the Wheelhouse: Within easy reach of the goalkeeper.
Knock Like A Bear Kiss: A tackle that looks bad but is just clumsy rather than dangerous or malicious.
On the Diagonal Surface: A cross-field pass, a la Beckham.
Upload: Kick the ball with full power.
Have not ever heard these. Not sure I like any of them...."Knock like a bear kiss"?
amavel
14 Sep 2007, 12:19 PM
Have not ever heard these. Not sure I like any of them...."Knock like a bear kiss"?
That's because most of the commentators reek of amateur hour and make up a lot of useless phrases on the fly. Most of them probably don't watch other leagues/international matches on a regular basis, so they have to compensate by stealing from other sports and such.
Earthshaker
14 Sep 2007, 12:21 PM
Who the hell says "final signal"? That must have just been a mis-speak? on the part of the announcer.
GutBomb
14 Sep 2007, 12:39 PM
Have not ever heard these. Not sure I like any of them...."Knock like a bear kiss"?
I think upload is a typo. It's supposed to be Unload. Also, "knock like a bear kiss" is a Bretosism, just like "combover header."
Crewbasher
14 Sep 2007, 01:06 PM
...and boom goes the dynamite.
It's funny, though... for all the ridiculous phrases that most of us have never heard before (what the hell is a bear kiss like, anyway?), I was pretty surprised by how many terms we use on a routine basis that are completely new to the folks across the pond. I always assumed "PK", "upper 90", "takeaway", "on frame", and "on the doorstep" were common soccer terms that would not be completely foreign to the Brits.
And the Sun screwed up a couple of those phrases: it should be "diagonal service" (which is still a bit lame) and "unload", which is another one I'm surprised hasn't been used over there (mainly because it's used so often in US sports). And a stutter-step isn't a step-over, either, but as someone else pointed out, this is the Sun we're talking about. Asking them for reliable journalistic integrity is like asking Paris Hilton to take a vow of celibacy.
Kot Matroskin
14 Sep 2007, 01:32 PM
Who the hell says "final signal"? That must have just been a mis-speak? on the part of the announcer.
Furthermore, who the heck wouldn't understand it if it was used? It may not be "standard", but if an announcer said it, I probably wouldn't even notice.
Stupid article.
El Duderino
14 Sep 2007, 01:37 PM
Honestly, it's not too hard to figure out what the majority of those are. If the Brits are having that much trouble with them, may God have mercy on them.
Dr. Wankler
14 Sep 2007, 01:37 PM
"climb the ladder!"
No kidding. This is the sort of historical ignorance of American soccer we can expect from the Sun. This is like someone writing about English soccer commentators' catch phrases and fillers without including, "Oh. Danger here!"
I've heard midfield stripe, match ups, on frame, slow roller, some wheels and maybe takeaway. I've never heard southpaw used to refer to someones stronger foot, and some of those others are likely just pulled out of the author's ass.
ECUNCHATER
14 Sep 2007, 03:23 PM
I haven't heard most of them used, but why is it such a big deal what we say? There is something called regional dialect. I'm from Iowa and we call soft drinks pop, but I grew up in North Carolina and we call soft drinks soda. Soccer works the same way in America.
So for those of you who don't understand American English let me get rid of the confusion.
Soccer=Football
Rivalry=Derby
Field=Pitch
Uniform=Kit
Schedule=Fixtures
It sort of annoys me when people start talking British on here and on American tv.
elracko
14 Sep 2007, 03:25 PM
seems like these terms were first run through BabelFish before reaching publication
hopefully in my next game i will receive a nice diagonal surface, fight off a bears kiss, and upload one past the keepers wheelhouse
can't wait
AndSomeAreAngels
14 Sep 2007, 03:30 PM
"Into the mixer!"
That's one O'Brienism that I actually like.
due time
14 Sep 2007, 03:40 PM
I regularly watch that Beckham usa show via youtube and find that US commentary speak section amusing.
Mostly they are just taking snippets of commentary of MLS games that sound weird to them. Not surprisingly, 75% sound funny to us as well, but apparantly the show's editors can't tell the difference.
I agree with the previous poster, I was shocked that they didn't use 'upper 90' or PK though.
Mighty!
14 Sep 2007, 03:51 PM
Chicken Wing Battle: Two players challenging for the ball and using their arms and elbows to do so.
Have not ever heard these. Not sure I like any of them...."Knock like a bear kiss"?
Come to a Barra Brava pick up game on most Saturdays and you will see THE CHICKEN WING in action!
DCUdiplomat96
14 Sep 2007, 03:57 PM
I haven't heard most of them used, but why is it such a big deal what we say? There is something called regional dialect. I'm from Iowa and we call soft drinks pop, but I grew up in North Carolina and we call soft drinks soda. Soccer works the same way in America.
So for those of you who don't understand American English let me get rid of the confusion.
Soccer=Football
Rivalry=Derby
Field=Pitch
Uniform=Kit
Schedule=Fixtures
It sort of annoys me when people start talking British on here and on American tv.
agreed