No delay
right off the bat means immediately or without delay
It was clear right off the bat that the debate team was not prepared.
This phrase is a reference to the immediate acceleration of a baseball just after being hit by a bat.
Happy New Year!
My first post to this blog was on June 19, 2009. Today starts a new year for this blog.
I find these posts beneficial. They have provided me with an education and a reference. Hopefully they have been helpful to others. I am surprised that I have been able to come up with grammar information for this long. It will be interesting to see how much longer this goes.
Here is a list of all the anniversary terms:
1 year Annual
2 years Biennial
3 years Triennial
4 years Quadrennial
5 years Quinquennial
6 years Sexennial
7 years Septennial
8 years Octennial
9 years Novennial
10 years Decennial
11 years Undecennial
12 years Duodecennial
13 years Tredecennial
14 years Quattuordecennial
15 years Quindecennial
20 years Vigintennial
50 years Semicentennial
75 years Dodranscentennial
100 years Centennial
125 years Quasquicentennial
150 years Sesquicentennial
175 years Dodransbicentennial
200 years Bicentennial
250 years Sestercentennial
300 years Tercentennial
350 years Sesquarcentennial
400 years Quadricentennial
500 years Quincentennial
600 years Sexcentennial
700 years Septicentennial
800 years Octocentennial
900 years Nonacentennial
1000 years Millennial
2000 years Bimillennial
Taken from Wikipedia (anniversary)
See this previous post for anniversaries less than a year.
Soft or tough actions
to play hardball means to be, or act, tough and aggressive
It got ugly when the political candidates started playing hardball.
This phrase is a reference to the difference between balls in baseball and softball.
Excellent outcome
knock it out of the park means to do something exactly as it should be done
She really knocked it out of the park with that speech.
This phrase is a reference to a home run which is the best a hitter can do.
Out of the park
hit a home run means a complete success
The TV producers hit a home run with this one.
This phrase is a reference to a home run being the best outcome for a hitter.
Either crazy or unexpected
out of left field means having nothing to do with the matter being discussed
Since he was napping during the meeting, his idea came out of left field.
One of its likely origins is that a runner attempting to score from third base will have his back to left field, thus a throw to the plate “out of left field” can arrive seemingly out of nowhere as a surprise to the runner.
out in left field means a little crazy
I think your idea is way out in left field.
One suggested origin is that it was crazy to buy left field seats during the time of Babe Ruth because he hit toward the right field.
For more details, check here.
Hit or miss rain showers
hit or miss means to either achieve success or completely fail.
Attempts to solve the problem are likely to be hit or miss.
hit or miss means to happen or not happen.
The rain showers across the area have been hit or miss.
This phrase is a reference to a batter either hitting or missing a pitched baseball.
Go get 'em slugger!
heavy hitter means a powerful or influential person
They hired him as their heavy hitter to get them through the crisis.
This phrase is a reference to a batter that has many home runs or extra base hits.
Thanks for the help
to go to bat for someone means to support or be a substitute for them
He went to bat for her when she asked for a raise.
This phrase is a reference to one batter subsitituting for another.
He didn't see that coming!
curveball means a totally unexpected surprise
When you are thrown a curveball like cancer, it can be overwhelming.
This phrase is a reference to the curveball being a baseball pitch designed to fool the batter by curving unexpectedly.