Saturday, June 11, 2016

The Field Guide to Sports Metaphors by Josh Chetwynd



It's amazing how much sports have influenced the English language; most every day you are likely to hear (or use) several.  Josh Chetwynd has compiled a fascinating collection of sports phrases and their origins. How did we begin to use phrases such as take a dive, throw in the towel, photo finish, or under the wire?  Chetwynd has those and many others covered. Readers may also discover a phrase or two they have wrongly assumed were sports-related.

This book includes sections for Team sports (baseball, basketball, football, hockey and soccer), as well as Individual sports (auto racing, billiards, bowling, boxing, golf, horse racing, tennis, track, and wrestling).  Book is rounded off with a section on miscellaneous idioms not tied with a specific sport. Chetwyind also provides a handy alphabetized index at the back for anyone wanting to look up a specific phrase (who may not know the specific sport from which it originates).

Even the most sport-savvy will find some trivia they knew nothing about. This great little hardback book would be a great coffee table book or bathroom reader (after all, isn't the bathroom every dad's reading room?).  Or keep a copy handy for some after dinner conversation with family or friends.

So whether you purchase The Field Guide to Sports Metaphors for Father's Day (those with Amazon Prime, still have time to order!), or a graduation gift for your favorite athlete, or even a fabulous end of season gift for a coach, make sure to buy a copy to keep so you can "have a ball" yourself!

Disclaimer: I received a copy of The Field Guide to Sports Metaphors for the purpose of review. No other compensation was received.


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