"English" in billiards

[Sam Clements]

----- Original Message -----
From: "George Thompson" Sent: Tuesday, March 23, 2004 3:00 PM
Subject: "English" in billiards


> I have received the following question from a writer for ESPN Magazine:
>
> --For this article, "The Answer Guy," I'm trying to answer a question.
Sounds simple, but it never is. The question for this issue is: "Why is spin
called 'english'?" You know, if you put a spin on a cueball and someone
says, "That had a lot of english on it." Or tennis ball, or bowling ball, or
even baseball. On down the line.
> --I am looking for an answer, a suggestion, anecdotes, jokes, anything.
> GAT

I have a wild speculation.  The slang word 'could' have come from the
English game of cricket.  The early bowler? could make that ball curve more
than a modern baseball major leaguer, no doubt, and  the spin they used
could have been dubbed "English."

Sam Clements