Cricketing terms

[Josh]

As someone interested in word origins in general, and also one whose favourite sport and hobby is cricket; I am very intreagued as to the origins of some cricketing terms we see in the sport.

Bowling terms such as "chinamen" and "yorker", even the name of some of the fielding positions "silly (point/mid on/mid off)", "third man" and the terms "fine" and "square".

What things actually determined the meanings of these words??

Add your own if you can think of any others.

 

[BoyBrumby]

"Chinaman" comes from Puss Achong, IIRC. Windies spinner of Oriental extraction. A batsman wandered off after being dismissed by him muttering about being bowled by a "Bloody chinaman".

"Yorker" comes from the expression "sending someone to Yorkshire", presumably because it's the worst place in the world...

I'm not altogther sure about "silly", but have always presumed it was because it was seen as being silly to field so close to the batsman.

"Bosie" (the popular Oz alternate for "Googly") comes from Bernard Bosanquet, who was the first to bowl the delivery.

 

[Perm]

"Doosra" is Hindi for "other one" I think, someone may need to check that but I'm pretty sure thats right.

 

[Dravid]

"Doosra" is Hindi for "other one" I think, someone may need to check that but I'm pretty sure thats right.

Doosra mean the 2nd one, but your close enough.

 

[nightprowler10]

Doosra mean the 2nd one, but your close enough.

It can also be used for the "other one". Well, we do use it in Urdu, I'm sure its the same in Hindi.

 

[Dravid]

It can also be used for the "other one". Well, we do use it in Urdu, I'm sure its the same in Hindi.

Yeah, it could be used as the other one depending on how it is used.

 

[Matt79]

"Chinaman" comes from Puss Achong, IIRC. Windies spinner of Oriental extraction. A batsman wandered off after being dismissed by him muttering about being bowled by a "Bloody chinaman".

"Yorker" comes from the expression "sending someone to Yorkshire", presumably because it's the worst place in the world...

I'm not altogther sure about "silly", but have always presumed it was because it was seen as being silly to field so close to the batsman.

"Bosie" (the popular Oz alternate for "Googly") comes from Bernard Bosanquet, who was the first to bowl the delivery.

Never heard "Bosie" in Australia in my experience. I thought it was an English expression.

I thought there was a similar derivation to Bosie for Yorker, as in the first exponent of it on a consistent basis was a Yorkshire bowler.

Square presumably refers to the fact that it's perpendicular or "square" to the main axis of the ground, ie the direction the pitch is pointing.

What's the origin of 'googly'?

 

[FaaipDeOiad]

Third man is fairly straightforward I think. I imagine it refers to the position being the third man in line on the off-side behind the wicket, after the keeper and the slip.

 

[archie mac]

What's the origin of 'googly'?

"Was a ball that so mystified the batsman that it made him 'Goggle', this not wholly satisfatory but probably as close as we are likely to get"

Silly

This is from the 1878 Aussies the first white Australian team to tour England, Harry Boyle was said 'to be silly, to stand so close, to the batsman'.

Both of these are from "The Dictionary of Cricket" by Michael Rundell.

A great informative read.

 

[Matt79]

"Was a ball that so mystified the batsman that it made him 'Goggle', this not wholly satisfatory but probably as close as we are likely to get"

Silly

This is from the 1878 Aussies the first white Australian team to tour England, Harry Boyle was said 'to be silly, to stand so close, to the batsman'.

Both of these are from "The Dictionary of Cricket" by Michael Rundell.

A great informative read.

If Google's lawyers found out about this, "bosie" would become a much more popular term if people wanted to avoid a writ!

 

[Goughy]

Yorker comes from the archaic, and I suspect now un-pc, expression "to Yorkshire" which meant to deceive.

 

[cameeel]

"Bosie" (the popular Oz alternate for "Googly") comes from Bernard Bosanquet, who was the first to bowl the delivery.

Really? Can't honestly say I've ever heard anyone refer to a googly/wrong 'un as a bosie in Aus or anywhere else.

 

[Matt79]

What about "slip"?

 

[Goughy]

Really? Can't honestly say I've ever heard anyone refer to a googly/wrong 'un as a bosie in Aus or anywhere else.

Maybe its a generational thing. I know many Aussies older than myself that call the googly a Bosie.

 

[Perm]

I've never heard any commentators refer to it as a Bosie but I have seen it written in several articles.

 

[BoyBrumby]

Benaud is the only commentator to call the googly a "bosie" with any regularity & as he was (in the pre-satellite telly era) the only Aussie voice we heard over here I just assumed it was an Australian expression. So blame Richie.

 

[Josh]

"Was a ball that so mystified the batsman that it made him 'Goggle', this not wholly satisfatory but probably as close as we are likely to get"

Silly

This is from the 1878 Aussies the first white Australian team to tour England, Harry Boyle was said 'to be silly, to stand so close, to the batsman'.

Both of these are from "The Dictionary of Cricket" by Michael Rundell.

A great informative read.

Definitely seems it, I'll be trying to get hold of that one.

 

[oz_fan]

Here is a list I found taken of some common cricketing terms taken from The Dictionary of Cricket: Origins of Common Cricketing Terms

 

[BoyBrumby]

Here is a list I found taken of some common cricketing terms from The Dictionary of Cricket: Origins of Common Cricketing Terms

Ha! from the horse's mouth:

Bosie
A term used exclusively by Australians, who named the delivery after its inventor, Englishman B.J.T. Bosanquet.

 

[archie mac]

Really? Can't honestly say I've ever heard anyone refer to a googly/wrong 'un as a bosie in Aus or anywhere else.

I have heard it hundreds of times, though I am older, I still hear it on occasions. Surprised that you have not heard it from Benaud he uses it a lot. Maybe now that you know the word you will notice it more often