Going to work is a bit like suiting up for a big game. Or at least it can sound like it. Lots of companies use sports-related jargon to energize and inspire employees. Managers act like coaches pushing you to “go for the gold” and co-workers are teammates working to “cross the goal line” together. Get ready to go the distance with these sport-inspired words and phrases you might hear kicked around the office.
Curveball
If someone throws a curveball during a job interview, it means they’ve presented an unexpected or challenging question. In baseball, a curveball is a pitch that’s difficult to hit because it curves as it approaches home plate. Batter up!
Slam Dunk
You’ve just been assigned a new project and are destined to shine. It’s a slam dunk — in other words, a sure thing. Oddly enough, if you’ve ever tried to dunk a basketball — and you’re less than 7 feet tall — you know a slam dunk is anything but easy. Coined by an announcer for the Los Angeles Lakers, this term applies when a basketball player slams the ball down through the hoop. Two points!
Kickoff
Anytime a new project starts, there’s bound to be a kickoff meeting. Basically, it’s just the start of the program and can often set the tone for how the project will continue. This word comes from the football or soccer field — a kickoff is the first kick of the game.
G.O.A.T.
Whether we’re talking about Michael Jordan, Muhammad Ali, or Simone Biles, in sports, G.O.A.T. stands for Greatest of All Time. If someone on your work team is the G.O.A.T., they’re an incredible asset to your organization. Maybe even a heavy hitter. Definitely not a rookie.
Par for the Course
The boss is having a fit about the quarterly sales report again. Well, that’s just par for the course. In other words, it’s just what you would expect to happen. In golf, “par” refers to the number of strokes it should take to finish the entire hole or course. Appeasing your raging boss? That would be a real hole-in-one.
Knock It Out of the Park
If you put together a stellar presentation and earn a promotion, you really knocked it out of the park. You didn’t just complete a task — you did it exceptionally well. This term comes from baseball when a player hits a ball so hard that the homerun lands outside the stadium.
Full-Court Press
Trying to wow a new client? That calls for a full-court press, which means it’s time to use all of the available resources — and maybe even some aggressive tactics — to seal the deal. When a basketball team plays full-court press, they apply pressure to the other team along the entire length of the court. Be aggressive! B-E aggressive!
Drop the Ball
Oh no — you forgot to return a phone call from your new client. You totally dropped the ball on this one. It means you made an error or missed an opportunity. From baseball to football, dropping the ball on the field can mean a player is charged with an error or a fumble.
Timeout
Things moving too fast during a brainstorming session? Someone needs to call a timeout. That’s a break, a pause, or suspension of activity. Timeouts are used during all kinds of sporting events. When a coach calls a timeout, play stops, and everyone takes a breather.
Touch Base
Following up in an email? Maybe you’ve used the term “touch base.” In baseball, runners need to touch all the bases to be called safe. In business, “touch base” means to make brief contact. It may even refer to the idea of touching home plate. You’re asking someone to check in with “home base” to see what’s going on.
Ball Is in Their Court
The buyer is considering your offer and you’re worried. Except there’s nothing you can do. After all, the ball is in their court. In other words, it's someone else’s turn to take action. This term comes from tennis — it’s your opponent’s turn to serve the ball.
Hail Mary
In Catholicism, Hail Mary is a traditional prayer. A “Hail Mary pass” in football is when a player throws a long forward pass at the last second of the game and then starts praying. Basically, it’s a desperate attempt with a slight chance of success. So, it’s never good news when your boss announces, “we need a Hail Mary on this one.” Start saying your prayers because this probably won’t end in a win.
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