Yesterday on the program Erin McKean, co-founder of wordnik.com and former editor-in-chief for American Dictionaries at Oxford University Press, discussed some of the stranger baseball terms out there. There simply wasn't enough time to get to them all, so she follows up on what exactly a "can of corn" is; how one ends up in a "pickle" and more.
Comments [6]
"Can-a-corn" is like "piece of cake" or "easy as pie". you don't have to shuck it or get it off the cob. Corn in a can is the easiest way to eat corn. It's a pop-fly or play that is so simple to make - "can-a-corn". Your word person is out of her league.
Notes on "hoppers"
Hoppers are a food native to Sri Lanka, served mainly for breakfast or lunch and often accompanied by Lunu miris, a fiery hot mix of red onions and spices. Hoppers are made from a fermented batter of rice flour, coconut milk and a dash of palm toddy, which lends a sour flavor and fermentation ability.
I've only heard this once, but my husband and I have been laughing about it for years.
"That one was in the kitchen making sandwiches!"
Don't even remember if it referred to a pitch or a hit!
"tools of stupidity" is one of my favorite baseball terms, tho not restricted to baseball.
there was an entire article on the mysterious origins of the term 'bullpen' in the nytimes or somewhere recently. one legend says there were actual bulls in the bullpen at the old polo grounds. want to take a stab at the origin of that?
btw, john sterling is quite possibly one of the worst announcers in baseball. suzyn waldman is second on that list.
In David Rohde's stunning story in the NY Times today he used "dived" for the past tense of "dive." I think "dove" sounds better but...
Are "dived" & "dove" equally appropriate?
Leave a Comment
Register for your own account so you can vote on comments, save your favorites, and more. Learn more.
Please stay on topic, be civil, and be brief.
Email addresses are never displayed, but they are required to confirm your comments. Names are displayed with all comments. We reserve the right to edit any comments posted on this site. Please read the Comment Guidelines before posting. By leaving a comment, you agree to New York Public Radio's Privacy Policy and Terms Of Use.