[Ads-l] leave it all on the field

[Laurence Horn]

> On Nov 12, 2016, at 8:47 PM, Neal Whitman <nwhitman at AMERITECH.NET> wrote:
> 
> Someone I know commented on another person's unsuccessful political campaign in a Facebook post, saying he'd run a strong campaign and "left nothing on the field."
> 
> Idiom blend with "held nothing back"?

That's my guess.

> Misunderstanding of what is left on the field? I don't know.
> 
> Doing a search, I see the Indians coach said this about their World Series run:
> 
>   Tribe coach Terry Francona said despite the loss, the game was
>   incredible.
> 
>   "To be associated with those players in that clubhouse, it is an
>   honor and I just told them that it's going to hurt. It hurts because
>   we care. But they need to walk with their heads held high because
>   they left nothing on the field. That's all the things we ever ask
>   them to do. They tried until there was nothing left."
>   https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__fox8.com_2016_11_03_francona-2Dsays-2Dtribe-2Dleft-2Dnothing-2Don-2Dthe-2Dfield-2Dplayers-2Dsay-2Dwe-2Dwill-2Dbe-2Dback_&d=CwIC-g&c=-dg2m7zWuuDZ0MUcV7Sdqw&r=wFp3X4Mu39hB2bf13gtz0ZpW1TsSxPIWYiZRsMFFaLQ&m=tCFzxNAA97C453gtcA53Ac_lzYTNWjcpbpVwJyCshxY&s=83aiol_4ItgKy0PnkgYJyMXxzZSGZ683cA4svM-u-4o&e= 
> 
> There's also this, from a 2009 blog post, citing a book called /Run with the Bulls without Getting Trampled/by Tim Irwin. I'm assuming everything but the quotation is paraphrased:
> 
>   It was his last game in high school and they had lost in the
>   playoffs. Irwin embraced his son on the field and held the big kid,
>   who was sobbing uncontrollably. His face and body was covered with
>   sweat, mud, and bruises.
> 
>   Then the opposing team's coach approached the two men. "Sir, may
>   have a word with your son?", the coach of the winning team asked.
>   The father stepped back and coach grabbed the son's shoulders and
>   said softly, "Son, tonight you left nothing on the field. You gave
>   it your all, and it was an honor to play against you."
>   https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__galtconsulting.blogspot.com_2009_01_leave-2Dnothing-2Don-2Dfield.html&d=CwIC-g&c=-dg2m7zWuuDZ0MUcV7Sdqw&r=wFp3X4Mu39hB2bf13gtz0ZpW1TsSxPIWYiZRsMFFaLQ&m=tCFzxNAA97C453gtcA53Ac_lzYTNWjcpbpVwJyCshxY&s=42nklRHanJCrFK42WKDtIXozuMlVfGlHbDrX_Y1YRkk&e= 
> Neal
> 
> On 11/12/2016 11:41 AM, Laurence Horn wrote:
>>> On Nov 12, 2016, at 11:32 AM, Jonathan Lighter <wuxxmupp2000 at GMAIL.COM> wrote:
>>> 
>>> But *what* is being left on the field? If the phrase suggests anything to
>>> me, it's the idea that any ill feelings should be left on the field.
>>> 
>>> Not at all what is meant now.
>>> 
>>> JL
>> No, it's the *effort* that they expended--they gave it 110% on the field, they didn't hold anything back, etc.
>> 
>> 
>>> On Sat, Nov 12, 2016 at 10:51 AM, Charles C Doyle <cdoyle at uga.edu> wrote:
>>> 
>>>> It's an old expression beloved of football coaches and sportscasters.
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>> --Charlie
>>>> 
>>>> ________________________________
>>>> From: American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU> on behalf of
>>>> Jonathan Lighter <wuxxmupp2000 at GMAIL.COM>
>>>> Sent: Saturday, November 12, 2016 8:32:47 AM
>>>> To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
>>>> Subject: leave it all on the field
>>>> 
>>>> ---------------------- Information from the mail header
>>>> -----------------------
>>>> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
>>>> Poster:       Jonathan Lighter <wuxxmupp2000 at GMAIL.COM>
>>>> Subject:      leave it all on the field
>>>> ------------------------------------------------------------
>>>> -------------------
>>>> 
>>>> Hillary Clinton told her campaign workers, "You left it all on the field,
>>>> every single one of you."
>>>> 
>>>> Despite what you might think, "leaving everything on the field" is a *good*
>>>> thing.  It means bringing everything to bear, going all out - though I'd
>>>> like to know why.
>>>> 
>>>> I first heard the phrase some months ago (from Kellyanne Conway, IIRC), in
>>>> the form "We're going to leave everything on the field."
>>>> 
>>>> JL
>>>> 
>>>> --
>>>> "If the truth is half as bad as I think it is, you can't handle the truth."
>>>> 
>>>> ------------------------------------------------------------
>>>> The American Dialect Society - https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__www.americandialect.org&d=CwIBaQ&c=-dg2m7zWuuDZ0MUcV7Sdqw&r=wFp3X4Mu39hB2bf13gtz0ZpW1TsSxPIWYiZRsMFFaLQ&m=oZnssRNGldAn0uatY5D3Rfibf-2dPP-CfBbNEtwG8Wc&s=TLGxCEuN8loGQ-Fo-Jn9MLzGW8IvzCAckUxS1qLAkpA&e=
>>>> 
>>>> ------------------------------------------------------------
>>>> The American Dialect Society - https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__www.americandialect.org&d=CwIBaQ&c=-dg2m7zWuuDZ0MUcV7Sdqw&r=wFp3X4Mu39hB2bf13gtz0ZpW1TsSxPIWYiZRsMFFaLQ&m=oZnssRNGldAn0uatY5D3Rfibf-2dPP-CfBbNEtwG8Wc&s=TLGxCEuN8loGQ-Fo-Jn9MLzGW8IvzCAckUxS1qLAkpA&e=
>>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>>> -- 
>>> "If the truth is half as bad as I think it is, you can't handle the truth."
>>> 
>>> ------------------------------------------------------------
>>> The American Dialect Society - https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__www.americandialect.org&d=CwIBaQ&c=-dg2m7zWuuDZ0MUcV7Sdqw&r=wFp3X4Mu39hB2bf13gtz0ZpW1TsSxPIWYiZRsMFFaLQ&m=oZnssRNGldAn0uatY5D3Rfibf-2dPP-CfBbNEtwG8Wc&s=TLGxCEuN8loGQ-Fo-Jn9MLzGW8IvzCAckUxS1qLAkpA&e=
>> ------------------------------------------------------------
>> The American Dialect Society - https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__www.americandialect.org&d=CwIC-g&c=-dg2m7zWuuDZ0MUcV7Sdqw&r=wFp3X4Mu39hB2bf13gtz0ZpW1TsSxPIWYiZRsMFFaLQ&m=tCFzxNAA97C453gtcA53Ac_lzYTNWjcpbpVwJyCshxY&s=W5DuJ-JhdViMFGePwDLe7IAwArCIYt1qS9oNkiSuHZo&e= 
> 
> -- 
> Dr. Neal Whitman
> Lecturer, ESL Composition
> School of Teaching and Learning
> College of Education and Human Ecology
> Arps Hall
> 1945 North High Street
> whitman.11 at osu.edu
> (614) 260-1622
> 
> 
> ------------------------------------------------------------
> The American Dialect Society - https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__www.americandialect.org&d=CwIC-g&c=-dg2m7zWuuDZ0MUcV7Sdqw&r=wFp3X4Mu39hB2bf13gtz0ZpW1TsSxPIWYiZRsMFFaLQ&m=tCFzxNAA97C453gtcA53Ac_lzYTNWjcpbpVwJyCshxY&s=W5DuJ-JhdViMFGePwDLe7IAwArCIYt1qS9oNkiSuHZo&e= 

------------------------------------------------------------
The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org