Print This Post | Subscribe: English Football Phrase

Each week we explain a soccer phrase or cliché on our weekly languagecaster podcast. You can find many more examples by going to our football phrase page here and football clichés here.

Click here for the audio

This week’s English for football phrase is ‘to be cagey‘. If you are cagey about something, you do not give a clear answer, or make a firm decision. A cagey answer does not want to give away too much information, and a cagey player may be a clever, but cautious footballer who thinks a lot about the game. Managers are often described as cagey, especially when asked about their future plans. This week, in the Champions League, many people people have been asking Leonardo whether or not David Beckham will play against his old club Manchester United. But the manager remained cagey and would not say ‘yes’ or ‘no’.

Quote (ESPN Soccernet)

‘Leonardo cagey on Becks – Leonardo is not promising David Beckham a place in his starting XI at Old Trafford even though he knows how “special” it would be for the former Man United favourite.’