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TRACK & FIELD:
 Track
and field events have an ancient history, dating at least from the Oympics
held in Greece two thousand years ago. Track and field sports include
a viariety of running, jumping and throwing contests,which take place
on an oval track surrounding the field events area.
There are
two basic types of horse racing, flat racing and races where the horses
jump over fences and other obstacles. Races vary according to distance,
terrain or ground surface, type of horse, prize money and weighting system.
Horses may be ridden by a rider or driven by a driver in a variety of
vehicles. Races begin at a starting gate, a starting stall, or by someone
waving a flag or lifting a wire. The first horse past the finish post
is the winner. If two or more horse finish together, a judge decides which
horses nose passed the post first.
Horse
racing was one of the first sporting events and betting on horses one
of the first forms of gambling in the United States. As early as 1740
horses were being imported from England by colonists for breeding purposes.
On southern plantations blacks were used as jockeys by their slave owners.
The War of Independence against England slowed the growth of the sport,
but never stopped it. Horse racing is popular in the United States today
as well in the rest of the world. Because horses have been used for transportation,
recreation and racing, there are many idioms associated with their use.
IDIOM:
a head start
track and field, horse racing
MEANING
1: to start with an advantage, a head before the other runners
SENTENCE 1: They gave him a head start, because he was so little.
MEANING
2: to begin early
SENTENCE 2: They have a head start, because they faxed their contract
to us and mailed it to the others.
IDIOM: the
inside track
track and field, horse racing, dog racing
MEANING
1: The inside of a track is shorter than the outside; it is easier to
win if one is on the inside of a track.
SENTENCE 1: The horse started on the inside track.
MEANING 2:
to have information or a position which will make it easier to win
SENTENCE 2: He will be able to talk to the head of Disney first, because
he has the inside track.. He worked with Disney on a previous project.
IDIOM:
jump the gun
track and field
MEANING 1:
to begin before the official starts the race
SENTENCE 1: He jumped the gun and will have to start again.
MEANING
2: to begin too soon
SENTENCE 2: Please don't j ump the gun and begin to prepare the budget
until all the figures are here.
IDIOM:
pass the baton
track and field
MEANING 1:
to give the baton, a hollow cylinder of about twelve inches, to the next
runner in a relay race.
SENTENCE 1: He finished his lap and passed the baton to the next runner.
MEANING 2:
to continue the task
SENTENCE 2: The older generation is passing the baton to the younger generation.
IDIOM:
against the clock primarily
track and field, horse racing, but any timed sport
MEANING
1: to compete in sports in a timed event or against another competitor's
time
SENTENCE 1: She's running against the clock and has only two seconds to
better Cindy's time for first place
.MEANING
2: to be in a hurry to meet a deadline or time for completion of something
SENTENCE 2: I'm running against the clock here on this project. Thearchitectural
drawings are due next week.
IDIOM:
race against time primarily
track and field, but any timed sport
MEANING 1:
to run or compete in a timed event (same as against the clock)
SENTENCE 1: The horse raced against his previous time on the track.
MEANING 2:
to hurrry to meet a deadline
SENTENCE 2: We better race against time. The copy for the newspaper is
due at four o'clock.
IDIOM: from
scratch (noun)
track and field, horse racing
MEANING 1:
from the starting line for a race
SENTENCE 1: Her time from scratch to finish in the mile was just over
four minutes.
MEANING 2:
from the beginning
SENTENCE 2: I need you to work on this legal brief
from scratch .
IDIOM: scratch
(verb)
track and field, horse racing
MEANING 1:
to eliminate a horse from a particular race
SENTENCE 1: the horse was scratched from the race.
MEANING 2:
to eliminate or stop a project
SENTENCE 2: Scratch that ad campaign. It won't work. How to Play the Game
IDIOM:
put something or someone through its paces
horse racing
MEANING 1:
to move in a particular way, usually with speed, along a measured course
SENTENCE 1: The harness horse was put through its paces.
MEANING 2:
to show someone or something how to do something according to a predetermined
standard
SENTENCE 2: Please put the new secretary through the paces and show her
the routines.
IDIOM: hit
one's stride, reach one's stride
horse racing
MEANING 1:
the horse is running its fastest
SENTENCE 1: That horse hit its stride at the second turn.
MEANING 2:
to do one's best
SENTENCE 2: He's finallyhit his stride and is doing his job well.
IDIOM:
dark horse
horse racing
MEANING
1: a horse which no one thinks will win but does.
SENTENCE 1: The odds on thedark horse were ten to one, but he won.
MEANING 2:
a person or company no one thinks will win but does.
SENTENCE 2: President Truman was the dark horse in the 1948 election.
IDIOM: give
one a run for one's money
horse racing
MEANING
1: to compete for money
SENTENCE 1: That horse will give the crowd a run for it's money
MEANING
2: to do the best one can in a competitive situation
SENTENCE 2: We'll give our competitor a run for their money. I think we
can make the best computer peripheral.
IDIOM:
winning hands down
horse racing
MEANING 1:
to win a horse race with one's hands down
SENTENCE 1: Willie Shoemaker won the Derby hands down.
MEANING 2:
to do the best one can in a competitive situation
SENTENCE 2: You'll get the job hands down. You're the best candidate they
have
.DERIVATION:
The jockey does not have to use the whip because the rider is so far ahead
of the rest of the horses
IDIOM: runner-up
primarily
track and field
MEANING 1:
to be second
SENTENCE 1: She wasrunner-up in the hurdles.
MEANING
2: to be second in any competition
SENTENCE 2: We were runner-up in that ad campaign. We will not get the
contract, but we came close.
IDIOM: off
to a running start
track and field, sailing, horse racing
MEANING 1:
moving at the start
SENTENCE 1: The sailboats were off to a running start as they passed the
buoys.
MEANING 2:
a good start on something
SENTENCE 2: Good outline. You're off to a running start on that essay.
IDIOM: down
to the wire
track and field, horse racing
MEANING
1: refers to thewire used to mark the end of a race
SENTENCE 1: They were neck and neck down to the wire.
MEANING 2:
the last few minutes before something must be accomplished
SENTENCE 2: I'll have to stay late tomorrow to get this finished. I'm
down to the wire on the proposal.
IDIOM: (just)
under the wire horse racing
MEANING
1: Wire refers to the finish line.
SENTENCE 1: The winner finished just under the wire ahead of the second
horse.
MEANING 2:
just barely in time, on time
SENTENCE 2: I turned in my paper to English class just under the wire.
IDIOM:
neck and neck horse racing
MEANING 1:
The horses are running together.
SENTENCE 1: They were running neck and neck in the stretch.
MEANING 2:
to be an even race
SENTENCE 2: Who are the best students? Jim and Jane are neck and neck.
They both get straight "A"'s.
IDIOM: in
the stretch, down the stretch, in the homestretch horse racing
MEANING 1:
in the final part of a race track between the last turn and the finish
line
SENTENCE 1: The favorite horse was ahead by two lengths going into the
stretch.
MEANING 2:
in the final stages of an event, such as a business or political campaign
SENTENCE 2: Although the Democrats were ahead in the
political campaign in August, the Republicans moved ahead in the stretch.
IDIOM: riding
for a fall
horse racing, horseback riding
MEANING 1:
to be riding fast and/or dangerously
SENTENCE 1: He's riding for a fall in the steeplechase
MEANING
2: to risk an accident or failure
SENTENCE 2: He's riding for a fall putting all his money in high risk
stocks.
IDIOM: win
by a nose
horse racing
MEANING 1:
at the finish, to win by the length of a nose
SENTENCE 1: The horse won by a nose.
MEANING 2:
to finish just a little better than the next person or business
SENTENCE 2: We won by a nose on that bid. We were only five hundred dollars
under the next highest bidder.
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