Every month, we take a look at a word in the headlines, in English, for your English. See more at The Word of the Month.
Definitions:
Foot (plural: Feet): One of the two lower extremities of the body that touches the ground when walking.
Ball: A spherical object, often used for sports and games.
Football: You know what football is, don’t you? It’s the most popular sport in the world!
Expressions:
To put your foot in your mouth is to say something embarrassing or make a gaffe (and literally an intense yoga pose which isn’t very hygenic).
To be on the ball is to be attentive or alert, while to drop the ball is to fail or make a mistake
Fun Facts:
Americans play football with their hands, a tactic occasionally employed by Maradona and Henry.
On the other hand, Americans play soccer with their feet.
Soccer fans from the US have just arrived in South Africa for the beginning of the World Cup. Both of them are extremely excited.
Also:
A foot is a unit of measurement: 1 foot = 12 inches = 30.5 cm.
Informally, balls are a unit of testicular fortitude.
“All I have in the world is my balls and my word.” -Tony Montana, famous football enthusiast.
Take a look through our Word of the Month archives, or improve your English with gymglish.com.