Here are some words and phrases you can hear on languagecaster’s Good, Bad and Ugly section of the podcast – a review of the footballing news. For more English practice check out our worksheets, football glossary and English for football phrases.
- Statue: a representation or copy of (usually) a person in stone, metal or wood
Example: Brian Clough, or Cloughie to most English football fans, is to get a statue put up in his honour in the centre of Nottingham.
- Outspoken: speaking directly, not hiding criticism
Example: The outspoken and colourful coach (here are some great quotes), most famously of Derby and Nottingham Forest, won two European Cups with Forest and won the Championship with both clubs.
- On the trot: one after another, in succession, a series of
Example: Del Piero’s club team Juventus have now won five on the trot.
- Throw away: Usually, you throw away rubbish / garbage because you don’t want it, but when you throw away a football game, it means that you wasted a chance, you could have won but poor play meant you did not.
Example: Arsenal threw away the game at home against derby rivals Tottenham, eventually drawing 4-4.
- Petulant: childish, sulky, bad-tempered
Example: Van Persie was sent off for a petulant shove on the Stoke goalie, Sorensen.
- Trounce: beat by a large number of goals, thrash, hammer
Example: Fernabache are the side Arsenal trounced 5-2 in Turkey.
- Have it all to do: have a lot of work to do, have a big challenge, be in a difficult situation
Example: Adelaide were completely outplayed and will have it all to do in the second leg next week if they wish to become the first ever Australian champions of Asia.
- Spit: to eject saliva from the mouth, often when you are angry or as a sign of disrespect
Example: Spitting happens on the football pitch a lot, but usually a player is spitting on the ground not at another player.
- Erupt: explode violently, boil over, suddenly happen
Example: The Copa Sudamericana continues to make the headlines for all the wrong reasons as yet again a match involving Brazilian and Argentinian sides erupted into violence.
- Dissent: disagreement, protest at, challenge, refusal to accept a decision
Example: Brazilian defender Andre Luis was then sent off for grabbing the referee’s yellow card from his pocket and waving it at him in clear dissent.
