Some authorities have suggested that 'on the ball' originated in the sporting arena, and alludes to runners being on the balls of their feet, eagerly ready to run a race. This has some similarities with being 'up to scratch', which derives from boxers or runners being ready at the starting line.
The poet teaches a philosophy of life in the poem, ‘The Ball Poem’. Give your views on it and explain in detail. 2. What is the central idea of the poem, ‘The Ball Poem’? How does the poet explain his
To be alert; in command of one's senses. Some authorities have suggested that 'on the ball' originated in the sporting arena, and alludes to runners being on the balls of their feet, eagerly ready to run a race. This has some similarities with being 'up to scratch', which derives from boxers or runners being ready at the starting line.
The phrase originated in tennis. Well, they invited you, so the ball is in your court now. Do you want to go out with them or not? Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2015 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.
The idiom the ball is in your court is derived from the sport of tennis. When the ball bounces in your court during a game of tennis, you must take action and hit it to keep the game going. The expression the ball is in your court, expressed in a figurative sense, came into use in the 1960s.
Definition of the ball is in one's court : burdened with expectations or requirements for something What do you think we should do about the project? The ball is in your court.
'The Ball is in your court”' means that it's someone else's turn to make a move. Example of use: “It's not Daniel's fault the deal isn't finished, he made the last offer. The ball is in Harry's court now.”
How To Respond To The Ball is In Your Court“Goodbye [Name].”“I will never beg you to (be my friend/be in a relationship) with me. If you feel that way, that's fine. There is nothing more to say. ... “I'm sorry but I am not going to chase you. I have way too much respect for myself to do that. Goodbye [Name].”
that something will never happenDefinition of when pigs fly —used to say that one thinks that something will never happen The train station will be renovated when pigs fly.
Definition of water under the bridge —used to say that something happened in the past and is no longer important or worth arguing about We had our differences in the past, but that's all water under the bridge now.
Disclose a secretDisclose a secret or reveal something prematurely, as in You can count on little Carol to spill the beans about the surprise. In this colloquial expression, first recorded in 1919, spill means “divulge,” a usage dating from the 1500s.
burn the midnight oil. Stay up late working or studying, as in The semester is almost over and we're all burning the midnight oil before exams. This expression alludes to the oil in oil lamps. [ Early 1600s]
Immediately, without delayImmediately, without delay, as in We were ready to pack our bags and go on vacation at the drop of a hat. This phrase probably alludes to signaling the start of a race or other contest by dropping a hat. [
something extremely rare in occurrenceOnce in a blue moon: This poetic phrase refers to something extremely rare in occurrence. A blue moon is the term commonly used for a second full moon that occasionally appears in a single month of our solar-based calendars.
Definition of the best of both worlds : all the advantages of two different situations and none of the disadvantages I have the best of both worlds—a wonderful family and a great job.
2 usually vulgar : to have sexual intercourse with. intransitive verb. 1 : to form or gather into a ball. 2 usually vulgar : to engage in sexual intercourse.
The "Balls" refer to masculinity and masculinity, in turn, infers courage, guts, power, etc. So the slang Having Balls usually means having courage. The Indian soldiers went across the border and killed enemies, they definitely have got courage.
In the meantime, the learning process can feel daunting: You want to get(Continue reading) The "Balls" refer to masculinity and masculinity, in turn, infers courage, guts, power, etc.
Its definition is derived from the idea that males (having testicles/balls), in most cases, are expected to have this ability as they have the responsibility to protect and defend females and children, as well as each other, from threats.
I think it is the literal translation of the Spanish “tiene cojones”, a very macho and vulgar expression meaning “he’s got testicles”, in other words “he’s a male, he’s a macho, he’s a real man”.
If a man is expected to be courageous and is shamed for being scared in a situation where it would be acceptable for a woman to be frightened, then yes, the speaker is consciously being sexist. That said, the very usage of the word “balls” to indicate presence of courage, is sexist.
The phrase 'on the ball' did actually originate in the sporting arena , but relates to the eyes rather than the feet. It is a contraction of the earlier expression 'keep your eye on the ball', which advice has been given to participants in virtually every known ball game.
As well as as the batters 'keeping their eye on the ball', the pitchers were also said to 'put something on the ball', that is, they imparted some spin or curve on it.
A more commonly advocated location for the source of 'on the ball' is the Royal Observatory at Greenwich. This is where the oldest surviving and best known time-ball is sited. The Greenwich time-ball was installed in 1833 to signal the accurate time to passing ships. It was, and still is, raised just before 1pm each day ...
Graham put something on the ball that fooled even Bowerman. The figurative version of the phrase 'on the ball', that is, with the meaning of being 'alert or apt' in a context where no actual ball is present, began later still. In 1989, W. C. Williams and J. Laughlin published Selected Letters, which contained an extract from a letter written ...
In 1989, W. C. Williams and J. Laughlin published Selected Letters, which contained an extract from a letter written Williams in 1939: The novella by Quevedo... [is] right on the ball. As to whether the phrase originated in the USA or the UK, on present evidence, I'd call it a 1-1 draw. See also:
Captains needed to have their ships' chronometers set accurately in order to navigate correctly , hence they needed to be 'on the ball' . It's a nice story and there are any number of tour guides around the observatory who are all too happy to repeat it.
The phrase “balls to the wall” may come with the centrifugal governor of a steam engine, which used spinning ball bearings to adjust a valve limiting the amount of steam entering the engine. As more fuel is put into the engine and more steam produced, the added pressure and centrifugal force of the spinning bearings pulls them outward toward ...
You can kind of deduce it means that you’re going all-out, or perhaps giving it all you’ve got. The expression and that meaning actually likely originated with the steam engine; specifically the centrifugal governor used to keep things ...
FWIW, a notch is a band of power drive on a Diesel-electric locomotive. To “take it up a notch” is to increase power and therefore speed. Top notch is notch 8, the highest notch on the power controller. See all replies.
Because, in direct contradiction of all the above, “balls” also means bravery and pluck, and metaphorically big ones are the sure sign of a winner when we say things like “balls of steel,” “grow a pair,” etc. Even more baffling is when, primarily in American English, they’re occasionally rolled out in similes that make little to no literal sense: ...
Slang terms, jargon and idiomatic expressions such as “high as balls” serve a number of different functions in the communities and subcultures in which they arise. They might throw polite society off the scent (at least for a while) of taboo topics and meanings. They mark out the territory of an in-group, whereby cult terms become something users can bond over and use to signal their membership. The argot of a cultural tribe can also set it apart from society at large, in opposition, or as an alternative, to the mainstream. “It’s a status thing,” says Thorne. “It’s a prestige thing within a group, to share these weird words.”
It’s also the version familiar to Tony Thorne, a lexicographer and language consultant at King’s College London, who’s authored various slang dictionaries, as well as Shoot the Puppy: A Survival Guide to the Curious Jargon of Modern Life.
Chris Bourn is a writer and editor who has writed and edited for many a title, including British Maxim and Time Out. He does stories for MEL covering health, happiness, and how things came to be.
As to why, in some groups and in certain circumstances, an awkwardly obscure term is actively preferred to a more plain-speaking alternative, sometimes, says Garrett, the choice is intentional.
This seems an inadequate account to him, though, since “it’s very rare in the U.S. to use ‘balls’ as a euphemism for something ruder.”. Instead, like Barrett, he sees it as a usage that’s come loose from its literal meaning, though perhaps not yet fully castrated.
As a literal comparison, ‘high as balls’ makes no sense. But it reveals a ton about why slang works and why we love to use it. Spare a thought, as you probably often do, for your genitals. In the course of everyday conversation, while they’re down there minding their own business and (usually) doing nothing wrong, they get called the worst names.
11. What is the boy learning from the loss of the ball?#N#Answer: The boy is learning the nature of loss in this materialistic world. He has learnt that loss is part and parcel of human life.
Answer: When one reads the title ‘The Ball Poem’, one assumes that the poem may be a light-hearted one, perhaps about the joys of childhood. However, as the reader reads the poem, the seriousness of the topic comes forth, as does the title’s appropriateness.
Answer: The poet says that he will not intrude upon the boy because he must learn to tolerate loss. The poet emphasises this loss. He thinks that money cannot compensate for the sense of loss. So he doesn’t give the boy money or buy another ball for him.
Answer: The responsibility referred to here is how to stand up or bear the loss through self-understanding and trying to console oneself on his own as the boy who lost his ball was trying to do.
Answer: The poet does not offer to buy the boy another ball because the new ball would not console him. The reason is that he had a great attachment to the lost ball . ‘He is learning, well behind his desperate eyes’.
Answer: The poet sees a boy playing near a harbour with a ball. The poet saw his ball bouncing. It bounced and fell into the water of the harbour. The boy lost his ball. He became very sad.
It will not be found back again. However, through the metaphor of the lost ball, the poet wants to highlight a bigger loss. It is the loss of his childhood. Like the lost ball, the childhood days which he cherishes still now, have been lost forever. This makes the loss inconsolable.