More like "Ready or not here I come!"
August 9, 2006 12:36 PM   Subscribe

Help me think of phrases that come exclusively from game play. Some examples would be: "Ollie ollie oxen free" and "ready or not here I come" and "ring a round a rosy".
posted by typewriter to Sports, Hobbies, & Recreation (59 answers total) 2 users marked this as a favorite
 
"not it"
posted by mcstayinskool at 12:37 PM on August 9, 2006


Best answer: do-over?
posted by jozxyqk at 12:40 PM on August 9, 2006


Strike Three you're out!!
posted by spicynuts at 12:40 PM on August 9, 2006


no tag backs!
posted by suki at 12:41 PM on August 9, 2006


On lists of restrictions ("Don't do this, don't do that") I've frequently heard or seen people add "Do not pass go. Do not collect 200 dollars."
posted by PinkStainlessTail at 12:41 PM on August 9, 2006


pawnd!!
posted by stavx at 12:41 PM on August 9, 2006


Tag. You're it!
posted by dersins at 12:42 PM on August 9, 2006


Ante up

Tag up

Not it

Simon says



"Ring around a rosy" is from a nursery rhyme. (And a grim one at that.)
posted by Kirth Gerson at 12:43 PM on August 9, 2006


red rover, red rover, send (insert name here) right over
posted by catseatcheese at 12:45 PM on August 9, 2006


One, two, three shoot! when playing rock paper scissors
Not it!
red rover, red rover
Car!
Out!
posted by Sara Anne at 12:46 PM on August 9, 2006


Getting to first, second or third base, to desribe how far you got on a date.

"Marco, Polo"

swish

He's off-side/on-side.

There are thousands, could you give us something to help narrow down the possibilities?
posted by oddman at 12:50 PM on August 9, 2006


Best answer: You sunk my battleship!
posted by hsoltz at 12:51 PM on August 9, 2006


Mother, may I?
posted by ThePinkSuperhero at 12:53 PM on August 9, 2006 [1 favorite]


Hat trick.

He shoots... he scores.

Penalty box.
posted by GuyZero at 12:53 PM on August 9, 2006


Clapping game songs:
Miss Mary Mac Mac Mac, all dressed in black black black, with silver buttons buttons buttons, all down her back back back, she asked her mother mother mother for forty-nine cents cents cents to watch the elephants elephants elephants jump over the fence fence fence. They jumped so high high high they touched the sky sky sky and they didn't com back back back til the fourth of July -ly -ly.

Oh say oh playmate come out and play with me, and bring your dollies three climb up my apple tree....

Oh say oh enemy come out and fight with me, and bring your bulldogs three, climb up my sticker tree. Slide down my razor blade into some alcohol and we'll be enemies forever more.

Miss Suzie had a steamboat, the steamboat had a bell....

Plus more at http://www.beachnet.com/~jeanettem/chants.html
posted by Sara Anne at 12:56 PM on August 9, 2006


Apple peaches pumpkin pie
Who's not ready holler I!
posted by oldtimey at 12:57 PM on August 9, 2006


I am in your base killing your d00ds.
posted by mr_roboto at 12:59 PM on August 9, 2006 [2 favorites]


Eeeny meeny miney mo, catch a tiger by the toe...
posted by orange swan at 1:01 PM on August 9, 2006


"par for the course"
"check-mate"
"hail-mary pass"
"grand-slam"
"crap-out"
posted by rocket88 at 1:04 PM on August 9, 2006


Drink, Asshole! (from the card game, "President/Asshole")
posted by evariste at 1:04 PM on August 9, 2006


Atari! (from the game of Go.)
posted by evariste at 1:04 PM on August 9, 2006


all your base are belong to us

But I think the OP is looking for phrases that have made it into the vernacular such as "that's not cricket", "Home Free", "Sticky wicket", "In the Black" is one of my favorites, referring to a pitch that is so close to being a stick or ball because it is thrown over the black striping that outlines home plate- in other words too close to call.
posted by Gungho at 1:06 PM on August 9, 2006


strike not stick in the above post
posted by Gungho at 1:07 PM on August 9, 2006


Nothing But Net.

Out in Left Field.

The Gloves Are Off.
posted by Fuzzy Monster at 1:08 PM on August 9, 2006


no one said punch buggy yet?
posted by whatzit at 1:10 PM on August 9, 2006


Game over!

Hole in one.

Checkmate.

He's just a pawn.

There's a wonderful Billy Wilder movie that's usually called "The Big Carnival." It's about a miner who got trapped in a cave -- and all the journalists who exploited his tragedy. It's based on a true story. The real-life guy's named was Floyd Collins. There's even a (really great) musical (buy the cast album -- you'll be happy you did!) about him. Anyway, the original title of the Wilder film -- which I've always thought was really clever -- was "Ace in the Hole."
posted by grumblebee at 1:10 PM on August 9, 2006


"Take it at the top"
posted by |n$eCur3 at 1:16 PM on August 9, 2006


Duck, duck, duck, goose ...
posted by ericb at 1:17 PM on August 9, 2006


On your mark, get set, go.
posted by ericb at 1:18 PM on August 9, 2006


"take it at the top" is a musical term, no?
posted by casconed at 1:26 PM on August 9, 2006


Ring around the rosy is from a nursery rhyme, but not a grim one.
posted by mendel at 1:45 PM on August 9, 2006


Best answer: Come out, come out, wherever you are
posted by necessitas at 1:48 PM on August 9, 2006


Red light, green light, 1- 2-3
posted by terrier319 at 2:04 PM on August 9, 2006


Mother, mother, may I....?
posted by acoutu at 2:08 PM on August 9, 2006


Best answer: Warmer... warmer... cold... freezing.... warmer... warmer... hot... oooh, burning... like, on fire!
posted by mochapickle at 2:10 PM on August 9, 2006


Not sure if this is exactly what you're looking for, but I tend to quote NBA Jams all the time, in a variety of both sport and non-sport situations, specifically:

"He's heating up!"
"Jam-a-lamma!"
and
"Can't buy a bucket!"

All, of course, in my best Marv Albert voice.
posted by saladin at 2:15 PM on August 9, 2006


Goooooooooooooooal!

-or-

Goooooooallllllazo!
posted by grateful at 2:21 PM on August 9, 2006


"Game off!"

::car flies by::

"Game on!"
posted by Terminal Verbosity at 2:22 PM on August 9, 2006


Do other clichés of sports announcing qualify?
- "And ... they're OFF!"
- "Let's get ready to r-r-r-r-r-u-m-b-l-e!"
- "en fuego"
posted by rob511 at 3:05 PM on August 9, 2006


"You bet your sweet ass I am" (Cardinal Puff)
posted by theredpen at 3:07 PM on August 9, 2006


"Jenga!"
"Is that your final answer?"
"Match, point (your name)"
"Fore!"
"Swing and a miss"
"Miss me, miss me, now you have to kiss me!"
posted by i8ny3x at 3:10 PM on August 9, 2006


Fish out of water!
posted by Mach5 at 3:16 PM on August 9, 2006


Sports idioms!
posted by Milkman Dan at 3:33 PM on August 9, 2006


Crap. Every one I could think of is listed in Milkman Dan's link. I guess I'll just have to go with: Set a pick at the free throw line of life. ("Bassetball jones...I got a bassetball jones" -- Tyrone Shoelaces)
posted by forrest at 4:16 PM on August 9, 2006


Best answer: Mississippi seconds -- one Mississippi, two Mississippi, etc.
posted by maloon at 4:28 PM on August 9, 2006


Thanks mendel for the debunk. Now I don't have to do it.

What's this about "in the black"?

"In the Black" is one of my favorites, referring to a pitch that is so close to being a stick or ball because it is thrown over the black striping that outlines home plate- in other words too close to call.

"In the black" to me means "in credit, not owing any money" because banks write positive balances in black and negative in red. Excel does it too.
posted by AmbroseChapel at 4:51 PM on August 9, 2006


"no batter!" (catcher/fans are suggesting the batter at the plate can't hit)

"batta batta batta Swing batta!" (catcher/fans trying to un-nerve batter during his swing. also very famous scene from Ferris Bueller's Day Off)

"we want a pitcher, not a belly itcher!" (no comment here)

"threw him a curve, threw him for a curve" - fooled the batter with a curve ball.

"blew it right past him" - threw a fast pitch right by him, now used for fooling somebody, or speed-scamming them.
posted by Dunwitty at 5:09 PM on August 9, 2006


"chin music" - a pitch thrown high and inside, to back a batter off the plate. Now sometimes refers to a punch in the mouth.

"can of corn" - an easy ball to catch.

"Safe!" - indicating the player has successfully slid into home.

"Yer/He's Outta There!"

"Grand Slam"
posted by Dunwitty at 5:13 PM on August 9, 2006


Best answer: From less sport oriented play: "no backsies!" "Jinx!"
posted by Dunwitty at 5:15 PM on August 9, 2006


As a baseball fan, I've never heard "in the black". I think you might be referring to "painting the corners", which means just touching the border area of the plate. Well, not the plate itself, but the projected area above the plate.

More sports phrases: "scores on the rebound". "Jesus saves... but Gretzky scores on the rebound!"
posted by Dunwitty at 5:18 PM on August 9, 2006


"Time out"
posted by Dunwitty at 5:22 PM on August 9, 2006


Best answer: Two for flinching!
posted by zardoz at 5:35 PM on August 9, 2006


Response by poster: Wow. I went away for a few hours and the answers exploded. I wasn't looking for anything specific, just some options for a character with a 'game' quirk speech pattern.

Thanks!
posted by typewriter at 7:50 PM on August 9, 2006


heads up seven up
posted by vanoakenfold at 9:29 PM on August 9, 2006


duck... duck... duck...... goose!
posted by vanoakenfold at 9:31 PM on August 9, 2006


1-2-3 pea-knuckle
posted by vanoakenfold at 9:31 PM on August 9, 2006


variation on the Mississippi counting is 1-Hippopotamus, etc.
posted by vanoakenfold at 9:34 PM on August 9, 2006


dunwitty, I think the original was Jesus saves, and Esposito scores on the rebound. Jeesh, the kids these days...

In the Black, I think I read that in the Boys of Summer, not too sure.
posted by Gungho at 9:05 AM on August 10, 2006


What's your THAC0 (bonus points if you know what this means).
posted by Vindaloo at 9:58 AM on August 28, 2006


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