In Cantabrigian tradition, a wooden spoon was jokingly awarded to low achievers in mathematics. That practice later extended to other types of competitions. It’s also key to a heartwarming story about a charitable organization that arose from...
In rugby and soccer to kick into touch means to “kick a ball out of play.” The phrase by extension is used in British English mean to “take some kind of action so that a decision is postponed” or otherwise get rid of a...
A rugby referee from Indiana calls to ask if his sport is the origin of the word touchdown as it is used in American football. This is part of a complete episode.
after n.— «This physical contest led to a considerable amount of “afters,” as rugby players like to call the little bits of niggle which sometimes follow action at the contact area. There was certainly some physical stuff...
banana skin n.— «Italy are a good side—they won two games in the Six Nations and pushed Ireland in the warm-ups and most of them have beaten Scotland before. This, therefore, is not a “banana skin”; it’s what the French call a...
sea-gull v.— «The rest were monumentally unremarkable and it could well be held that the back row contributed to the demise of their front five by seagulling around the fringes of the scrum, instead of staying down and shoving hard...