This short football language post looks at the phrase ‘to be on the beach‘ when used in football. You can read the transcript for this post below, while you can also check out our glossary of footballing phrases here and visit our site to access all our previous posts and podcasts. If you have any suggestions or questions then you can contact us at admin@languagecaster.com.
On the beach
As we enter the business end of the football season in Europe, you may hear the expression, ‘They are already on the beach‘. Being on the beach means to be on vacation, so when we describe a team as being on the beach, we mean they have stopped working and are thinking about being on holiday. A team that is said to be on the beach, usually has nothing to play for – they will not get relegated, they are out of any cup competitions, and they can’t qualify for a tournament next season. These teams are seen as easy to play, as they are unlikely to try hard. You can also say, on the plane to mean the same thing – they are already on the plane.
- Example:What an emphatic win. I certainly didn’t see that performance or result on the horizon but Albion certainly proved they’re not on the beach just yet. (Express and Star 2017)
Glossary
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