[Lexicog] "googly"

[Patrick Hanks]

A googly is a wonderful piece of deception.  The bowler spins the ball one way, but 
cunningly disguises his hand and wrist action so that batsman thinks it's spinning 
the other way, and is completely flummoxed (left hitting at the empty air as the ball 
sails past).

I have heard it used metaphorically, thought the evidence in BNC for metaphorical 
use is rather thin.

What other metaphors for deceptive behaviour are there, outside English?

Patrick

  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Fritz Goerling 
  To: lexicographylist at yahoogroups.com 
  Cc: DURKIN, Philip 
  Sent: Friday, May 21, 2004 8:58 PM
  Subject: RE: [Lexicog] "spin doctor"


  Hi there, Patrick,

  As I am not a native speaker of English I believe you and Steve White, who said the same about this term coming from sports.
  As I play table tennis, I know what a top spin is. I don't know cricket but have heard about the term "googly" (through Peter Kirk,
  an Englishman on this list) which must refer to when you give the ball a strong spin.

  Thanks.

  Fritz





    Hi again Fritz - 

    The definition that you quote seems to me a good one, but I don't think the expression has anything to do with spinning a yarn (which is a metaphor from the wool trade).  It's from "putting a spin on [something]", which is, I believe, a metaphor from either cricket or baseball. In cricket, unlike baseball, the ball is allowed to bounce between the bowler (= pitcher) and the batsman (= batter). Slow bowlers put a lot of spin on the ball, which causes it to change direction quite dramatically when it bounces, thus deceiving or confusing the batsman. I believe that in baseball spin causes the ball to swerve in the air. 

    I'm copying this to my former colleague Philip Durkin at OED; who may be able to say when and where "spin doctor" originated and indeed whether the metaphor is from cricket or baseball. (He will, I hope, correct any errors in what I've said here.) 


    Patrick Hanks

      ----- Original Message ----- 
      From: Fritz Goerling 
      To: lexicographylist at yahoogroups.com 
      Sent: Friday, May 21, 2004 6:37 PM
      Subject: RE: [Lexicog] Semantic extensions


      I am interested in the origin of the expression "spin doctor". Is this a semantic extension or what 
      has happend to "spin" in this expression? I found the following definition:
      a public relations person who tries to forestall negative publicity by publicizing 
      a favorable interpretation of the words or actions of a company or political party 
      or famous person; "his title is Director of Communications but he is just a 
      spin doctor" 
      My hunch is that this is close to the meaning of "to spin a yarn" (= to tell a tale).

      Fritz Goerling 






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