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 | 550 |
pts | Points | 560 |
BF | Batters faced | 565 |
Stud | A highly skilled individual | 568 |
W | Win | 571 |
Clutch | Ability to perform under pressure | 574 |
PB | Personal best | 574 |
GOAT | Greatest of all time | 575 |
Throw the game | Lose the game on purpose | 579 |
Skol | Good health | 580 |
FF | Fantasy football | 581 |
GF | Games finished | 583 |
Ace | Hole in one | 583 |
ownage | Completely owned | 584 |
Beast mode | Dominating gameplay | 584 |
DQ | Disqualify | 585 |
WWE | World Wrestling Entertainment | 585 |
MLB | Major League Baseball | 585 |
Ceiling | Upside of a player | 586 |
HR | Home run | 587 |
Mulligan | Redo | 587 |
WR | Wide receiver | 587 |
DFS | Daily Fantasy Sports | 587 |
RBI | Runs batted in | 588 |
SB | Super Bowl | 588 |
LeBroning | Flopping | 589 |
Tater | Home run | 589 |
DL | Disabled list | 589 |
ROY | Rookie of the Year | 589 |
Closer | A relief pitcher that finishes a baseball game | 589 |
Basebrawl | Baseball brawl | 589 |
FFL | Fantasy football league | 589 |
Handcuff | A fantasy football backup player | 589 |
LFG | Let's freaking go | 589 |
NHL | National Hockey League | 590 |
avg | Batting average | 590 |
Rundown | Baserunner stranded between two bases | 590 |
Set the table | To get on base so other hitters can score the baserunners | 590 |
Bush league | Amateur play | 590 |
Snake draft | Draft where the last pick in one round is the first in the next | 590 |
YPG | Yards per game | 590 |
2B | Second base | 591 |
March Madness | NCAA Basketball Tournament | 591 |
Chin music | Pitch that nearly hits the batter's head | 591 |
Mendoza line | .200 batting average | 591 |
TP | Triple play | 591 |
PPR | Points per reception | 591 |
TE | Tight end | 591 |
PF | Points for | 591 |
BOAT | Best of all time | 591 |
ref | Referee | 592 |
stats | Statistics | 592 |
MVP | Most valuable player | 592 |
WCW | World Championship Wrestling | 592 |
SB | Stolen bases | 592 |
L | Losses | 592 |
Can of corn | An easy catch by a fielder | 592 |
Victory lap | Golf ball that spins around the hole then falls in | 592 |
Honors | Hit first from the tee in golf | 592 |
RB | Running back | 592 |
Ghostship | A fantasy football team with no owner | 592 |
Trade bait | A good player that entices other teams to trade for him | 592 |
Half-PPR | Half-point per reception league | 592 |
Kayfabe | Pretending something fake is real | 592 |
Washed | No longer good | 592 |
Fanboy | A dedicated male fan | 593 |
NBA | National Basketball Association | 593 |
WC | World Cup | 593 |
FIFA | Fédération Internationale de Football Association | 593 |
Mash | To hit a baseball well | 593 |
Wheels | Fast legs | 593 |
ship | Championship | 593 |
IR | Injured reserve | 593 |
DP | Double play | 593 |
JAG | Just a guy | 593 |
WR | World record | 593 |
Saddam Hussein | Golf shot from one bunker into another bunker | 593 |
Sleeper | A player drafted late but exceeds expectations | 593 |
RB1 | Starting fantasy running back | 593 |
WR1 | First starting fantasy wide receiver | 593 |
Vulture back | A running back who takes scoring chances from the starter | 593 |
rec | Receptions | 593 |
Fish | Casual fantasy sports player | 593 |
Shark | An experienced fantasy sports player | 593 |
Undroppable | A player who cannot be dropped from a fantasy team | 593 |
Stream | Rotating players in and out of a lineup | 593 |
Bullish | Positive outlook | 593 |
Mark | A fan who believes pro wrestling is real | 593 |
NLDS | National League Division Series | 594 |
Homer | Home run | 594 |
Single | Hit that results in the batter getting to first base | 594 |
OPS | On-base Plus Slugging Percentage | 594 |
Cinderella | Underdog sports team | 594 |
One and done | Single elimination tournament | 594 |
On deck | Batting second | 594 |
Paint the corner | To pitch the ball over the edge of home plate | 594 |
DER | Defensive Efficiency Rating | 594 |
Bag | A base | 594 |
GSH | Grand Slams | 594 |
Steeze | Style and ease | 594 |
Put him on skates | To make a person stumble over himself | 594 |
MBFA | Make baseball fun again | 594 |
DNF | Did not finish | 594 |
Texas wedge | Putt from off the green | 594 |
ADP | Average draft position | 594 |
Draft dasher | A fantasy football owner who drafts a team and abandons it | 594 |
Waiver hawk | A fantasy sports owner who patrols the waiver wire | 594 |
Reach | To draft a player too soon | 594 |
OT | Overtime | 595 |
Ups | Jumping ability | 595 |
ERA | Earned run average | 595 |
AB | At bat | 595 |
FOMOF | Fear of missing out on football | 595 |
ALCS | American League Championship Series | 595 |
Dinger | Home run | 595 |
Ruthian | Powerful | 595 |
Meatball | Easy pitch to hit | 595 |
Grounder | A baseball hit on the ground | 595 |
Double | Hit that results in the batter getting to second base | 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 |
Bracket buster | A team that upsets a highly ranked team | 595 |
On the screws | Hard hit | 595 |
R | Runs | 595 |
Maddux | Complete game shutout with less than 100 pitches | 595 |
TC | Total chances | 595 |
Bases juiced | Baserunners on all three bases | 595 |
Grand Slam | Winning the four major golf tournaments | 595 |
Snowman | Golf score of 8 | 595 |
Sweeper | A breaking ball that sweeps horizontally | 595 |
QB | Quarterback | 595 |
Flier | Gamble on a risky player | 595 |
Flyer | Gamble on a risky player | 595 |
att | Attempts | 595 |
tar | Receiving targets | 595 |
Floor | Downside of a player | 595 |
Bearish | Negative outlook | 595 |
Millennial baseball | A baseball strategy of swinging for home runs instead of base hits | 595 |
Put over | Make someone look good | 595 |
Unforced error | An easily-avoidable mistake | 595 |
Pull | To hit a ball to the same side of the field in which you bat | 595 |
CR7 | Cristiano Ronaldo | 595 |
def | Defense | 596 |
MMA | Mixed martial arts | 596 |
NFC | National Football Conference | 596 |
Yard | Home run | 596 |
ALDS | American League Division Series | 596 |
Ace | Best starting pitcher | 596 |
SP | Starting pitcher | 596 |
C | Catcher | 596 |
LCS | League Championship Series | 596 |
Baltimore chop | Baseball hit that takes a large hop over an infielder | 596 |
1B | First base | 596 |
WAR | Wins Above Replacement | 596 |
Sweet Sixteen | Last 16 teams in a tournament | 596 |
Elite Eight | Last eight teams of March Madness | 596 |
Leather | Defense ability | 596 |
Rubber | Pitcher's plate | 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 |
A | Assists | 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 |
SV | Saves | 596 |
Round-tripper | Home run | 596 |
Steezy | Style and ease | 596 |
And one | A play where a player is fouled while making a basket | 596 |
Rainmaker | High trajectory golf shot | 596 |
Hangman | Golf score of 9 | 596 |
Auction draft | Draft where owners bid on players | 596 |
Slept | To hit someone hard | 596 |
Drop | A ball dropped from a golfer's outstretched arm | 596 |
Albatross | Three strokes under par | 596 |
QB1 | First starting fantasy quarterback | 596 |
d | Defense | 596 |
QBBC | Quarterback by committee | 596 |
FR | Fumble recovery | 596 |
Fleecing | Taking advantage of a person through a trade | 596 |
fum | Total fumbles | 596 |
sck | Sacks | 596 |
sfty | Safety | 596 |
Truthiness | Truth based on feelings | 596 |
Minnow | Weak fantasy sports player | 596 |
Woj bomb | A breaking report by Adrian Wojnarowski | 596 |
Get buckets | To dominate | 596 |
Cut a promo | Stage a promotional interview | 596 |
Degen | A gambler who makes foolish bets | 596 |
On fire | Performing very well | 596 |
Posterize | To dunk on an opponent | 596 |
Fade | To purposely disregard a player | 596 |
FTMFW | For the mother f***ing win | 597 |
Tunneling | Throwing different pitches with a similar trajectory to fool hitters | 597 |
Jock | Athlete | 597 |
Siv | Bad goaltender | 597 |
AFC | American Football Conference | 597 |
USWNT | United States Women's National Team | 597 |
K | Strikeout | 597 |
SO | Strikeouts | 597 |
NLCS | National League Championship Series | 597 |
P | Pitcher | 597 |
Bloop | Weakly hit fly ball | 597 |
3B | Third base | 597 |
RF | Right field | 597 |
SS | Shortstop | 597 |
Bracket | Diagram of tournament games | 597 |
Buzzer beater | A score made as the buzzer sounds | 597 |
E4 | Error made by the second baseman | 597 |
Bronx cheer | Noise that signals mockery | 597 |
High and tight | High and inside pitch | 597 |
Dish | Home plate | 597 |
Cheese | Good fastball | 597 |
Uncle Charlie | Curve ball | 597 |
XBH | Extra base hits | 597 |
Grand Slam | A four-run home run | 597 |
Four bagger | Home run | 597 |
Paint the black | To pitch the ball over the edge of home plate | 597 |
Sweet spot | The part of the bat that provides the best contact | 597 |
Twin killing | Double play | 597 |
Circus catch | Acrobatic catch | 597 |
G | Games played | 597 |
Three bagger | Triple | 597 |
Annie Oakley | Free pass | 597 |
Ball don't lie | You get what you deserve | 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 |
RW | Relief wins | 597 |
Breakfast ball | A redo shot from the first tee | 597 |
Put out fires | Get out of difficult situations | 597 |
Yakker | Curve ball | 597 |
Cheddar | Good fastball | 597 |
LANK | Let a naysayer know | 597 |
Shelled | Beaten badly | 597 |
Bruh | Friend | 597 |
IOC | International Olympic Committee | 597 |
natty | National championship | 597 |
Go deep | Hit a home run | 597 |
Worm burner | Very low golf shot | 597 |
Lumber | Baseball bat | 597 |
Die in the hole | Golf shot that makes it to the hole and falls in | 597 |
Breaking ankles | Causing a player to stumble | 597 |
RBBC | Running back by committee | 597 |
Fire sale | When an owner trades players away | 597 |
IDP | Individual defensive player | 597 |
proj | Projected | 597 |
Flex | Fantasy football position that can be a RB, WR, or TE | 597 |
ST | Special teams | 597 |
int | Interception | 597 |
Garbage time | Time during a blowout game where strategies change | 597 |
Damaged goods | A person who has one or more major flaws | 597 |
oprk | Opponent ranking | 597 |
Zebra | A game official | 597 |
Honnolding | Standing up straight on a narrow ledge with your back to the wall | 597 |
MLBPA | Major League Baseball Players Association | 597 |
LOOGY | Left-handed One Out Guy | 597 |
Heel | Villain | 597 |
PR | Personal record | 597 |
Hops | Jumping ability | 597 |
Putting on a clinic | Performing exceptionally well | 597 |
Cannon | An impressive throwing arm | 597 |
Juicing | Taking performance-enhancing drugs | 597 |
DB | Defensive back | 597 |
Rock | A basketball | 597 |
1Q | First quarter | 597 |
HOF | Hall of fame | 598 |
tourney | Tournament | 598 |
WWF | World Wrestling Federation | 598 |
Three-peat | Winning a championship three times in a row | 598 |
BB | Bases on balls | 598 |
Brotherly shove | A play where the quarterback is shoved to gain yards | 598 |
CS | Caught stealing | 598 |
Bomb | Home run | 598 |
Tuddy | Touchdown | 598 |
RP | Relief pitcher | 598 |
Ride the pine | Sit on the bench | 598 |
Cycle | Single, double, triple, and home run | 598 |
LF | Left field | 598 |
CF | Center field | 598 |
OF | Outfield | 598 |
Lettuce | Thick, curly, beautiful hair | 598 |
CFP | College Football Playoff | 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 |
E8 | Error made by the center fielder | 598 |
E9 | Error made by the right fielder | 598 |
Around the horn | Double play from third to second to first base | 598 |
Double play | Two outs on the same play | 598 |
Triple play | Three outs on the same play | 598 |
Brushback | Pitch that almost hits the hitter | 598 |
Pickle | Baserunner stranded between two bases | 598 |
Hotbox | Baserunner stranded between two bases | 598 |
Hill | Pitcher's mound | 598 |
Wheelhouse | Hitter's power zone | 598 |
On the button | Hard hit ball | 598 |
WS | World Series | 598 |
LOB | Left on base | 598 |
SF | Sacrifice Flies | 598 |
GS | Games started | 598 |
inn | Innings played | 598 |
Charity stripe | Free throw line | 598 |
Bases loaded | Baserunners on all three bases | 598 |
HB | Hit batsmen | 598 |
hld | Hold | 598 |
IP | Innings pitched | 598 |
IRA | Inherited runs allowed | 598 |
Hockey hair | Long, flowing hair with flipped wings | 598 |
Lift the silverware | Win a trophy | 598 |
De-cleated | Hit very hard | 598 |
Fireman | Late-inning relief pitcher | 598 |
Pea | A ball traveling at a high speed | 598 |
Punchout | Strikeout | 598 |
Cutter | A breaking fastball | 598 |
Deadly | Excellent | 598 |
Togger | Soccer | 598 |
OR | Olympic record | 598 |
Juiced | Muscular from steroids | 598 |
Pin-seeker | Golf shot hit straight at the flagstick | 598 |
OB | Out-of-bounds | 598 |
Alec Guinness | Out-of-bounds | 598 |
Walk-off | A score that instantly wins a game | 598 |
Own goal | A counterproductive decision | 598 |
Serpentine draft | Draft where the last pick in one round is the first in the next | 598 |
Bust | A player who does not perform well | 598 |
Front nine | First nine holes of an 18-hole golf course | 598 |
Gimme | Easy golf putt | 598 |
Scratch golfer | A golfer with a handicap of zero | 598 |
Oppo boppo | Opposite field home run | 598 |
BABIP | Batting average on balls in play | 598 |
Shove | To pitch well | 598 |
WR3 | Third starting fantasy wide receiver | 598 |
yds | Yards | 598 |
YPA | Yards per attempt | 598 |
Handles | The ability to handle a basketball | 598 |
Face | Hero | 598 |
celly | Celebration | 598 |
OG | Olympic grandma | 598 |
Yard sale | A bad crash | 598 |
chip | Championship | 598 |
Brick | A shot that squarely clangs off the rim or backboard | 598 |
Dropping dimes | Making difficult passes for assists in basketball | 598 |
Dime | Assist | 598 |
FKT | Fastest known time | 598 |
Downtown | Beyond the 3-point line | 598 |
Jumper | Jump shot | 598 |
oppo | Opposite field | 598 |
Trey | 3-point shot attempt | 598 |
Triple-double | Achieving double digits in three categories in a basketball game | 598 |
Rinsed | Defeated | 598 |
Got that dog in him | Driven to succeed | 598 |
DST | Defense and Special Teams | 598 |
3Q | Third quarter | 598 |
pl8 | Plate | 599 |
HMP | Half marathon pace | 599 |
PED | Performance enhancing drug | 599 |
HGH | Human growth hormone | 599 |
Circle button | Spin move | 599 |
Revenge arc | Quest to get revenge | 599 |
USMNT | United States Men's National Team | 599 |
Heater | Fastball | 599 |
Hot corner | Third base | 599 |
Southpaw | Left-handed pitcher | 599 |
Homer | Hometown sports fan | 599 |
Jam | To pitch near a batter's hands | 599 |
MNF | Monday Night Football | 599 |
He's him | He is impressive | 599 |
RPI | Ratings Percentage Index | 599 |
Pick-six | An interception returned for a touchdown | 599 |
E1 | Error made by the pitcher | 599 |
Alley oop | A pass to a teammate who puts the ball in the basket | 599 |
Blowing a raspberry | Making a jeering noise | 599 |
Red zone | Area between the 20-yard line and the goal line | 599 |
In the hole | Batting third | 599 |
Touch em all | Home run | 599 |
GIDP | Ground into double play | 599 |
NP | Number of pitches | 599 |
TPA | Total plate appearances | 599 |
GRSL | Grand Slams | 599 |
Table setter | A player who gets on base so other hitters can hit him in | 599 |
Frozen rope | Line drive baseball hit | 599 |
IBB | Intentional bases on balls | 599 |
OFA | Outfield assists | 599 |
RF | Range factor | 599 |
PB | Passed balls | 599 |
AO | Fly outs | 599 |
Golden Slam | Tennis Grand Slam and the Olympics gold medal | 599 |
Super Slam | Tennis Grand Slam and Year-End Championship | 599 |
4Q | Fourth quarter | 599 |
PA | Plate appearances | 599 |
Pick | An interception | 599 |
Par | Number of strokes to complete a golf course hole | 599 |
Birdie | One stroke under par | 599 |
Coast to coast | The entire length of a playing field | 599 |
Nineteenth hole | Golf clubhouse bar | 599 |
Reload | To take another shot after a bad shot | 599 |
Nuked | Hit a golf ball a great distance | 599 |
Nip it | Hit a golf ball cleanly | 599 |
Amelia Earhart | Golf shot that looks good but you can't find | 599 |
Back-door putt | Putt that spins around a hole and drops in | 599 |
roids | Steroids | 599 |
Danny DeVito | Five foot putt | 599 |
CGSO | Complete game shutout | 599 |
Squirrel | Tee shot into the rough | 599 |
Nutmeg | Kicking the ball between an opponent's legs | 599 |
Keeper league | Fantasy sports league where you keep your players | 599 |
Breakout | A player who performs surprisingly well | 599 |
Mock draft | Simulated draft | 599 |
Bare lie | A golf ball laying directly on the ground | 599 |
Tight lie | A golf ball laying directly on the ground | 599 |
Four-peat | Winning a championship four times in a row | 599 |
Double eagle | Three strokes under par | 599 |
Fore | Watch out | 599 |
Ready golf | Golfers hit when ready | 599 |
Go deep | Run a route far downfield | 599 |
Inward nine | Last nine holes of an 18-hole golf course | 599 |
RB2 | Second starting fantasy running back | 599 |
QB2 | Second starting fantasy quarterback | 599 |
WR2 | Second starting fantasy wide receiver | 599 |
FPG | Fantasy points per game | 599 |
YAC | Yards after catch | 599 |
prk | Position rank | 599 |
PA | Points against | 599 |
i | Interception | 599 |
Throwing | Losing a winnable game on purpose | 599 |
Tush push | A play where the quarterback is pushed to gain yards | 599 |
Mossed | Catching a football over another player | 599 |
VAR | Video assistant referee | 599 |
IL | Injured list | 599 |
WOAT | Worst of all time | 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 |
Take the L | Take the loss | 599 |
Stee | Style | 599 |
Bricklayer | A basketball player who is shooting a lot of bricks | 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 |
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 |
Bucket | A made basketball shot | 599 |
Ice cold | Shooting poorly | 599 |
Double-double | Achieving double digits in two categories in a basketball game | 599 |
pred | Predator | 599 |
Clean sheet | Shutout | 599 |
2Q | Second quarter | 599 |
CB | Cornerback | 599 |
OTB | Off the board | 600 |
Hoops | Basketball | 600 |
EPO | Erythropoietin | 600 |
Owned | Dominated | 600 |
NWO | New World Order | 600 |
j | Jump shot | 600 |
Ribby | Run batted in | 600 |
CG | Complete games | 600 |
ER | Earned runs | 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 |
DROY | Defensive Rookie of the Year | 600 |
Putout | Out | 600 |
PO | Putouts | 600 |
Rope | Line drive baseball hit | 600 |
sac | Sacrifice bunts | 600 |
GO | Ground outs | 600 |
bk | Balks | 600 |
Quail high | Very low golf shot | 600 |
Abominable snowman | Golf score of 9 | 600 |
Joe Pesci | A difficult five foot putt | 600 |
Shank | To hit the ball poorly | 600 |
Bogey golf | Level of golf play that equals 1 shot over par | 600 |
Chunk | A golf shot that makes a divot | 600 |
Fat shot | A golf shot that takes a chunk out of the ground | 600 |
Handicap | Numerical score that represents a golfer's ability | 600 |
The turn | Halfway point of a round of golf | 600 |
Outward nine | First nine holes of an 18-hole golf course | 600 |
Dogleg | A golf hole with a fairway that bends | 600 |
Dogleg left | A golf hole with a fairway that has a bend to the left | 600 |
ffb | Fantasy football | 600 |
K | Kicker | 600 |
Sham bomb | A breaking report by Shams Charania | 600 |
Shoot | An unscripted event | 600 |
Results limited to 500. View complete list.