Jackie Robinson
35
3.2
- proper noun
- /ˈdʒæki ˈrɒbɪnsən/
- When Jackie Robinson testified before the house unamerican activities committee, he said something that was taken out of the newsreel.
- Jackie Robinson with the Dodgers
- Jackie Robinson broke baseball
- Jackie Robinson biopic
Examples
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In addition, like Jackie Robinson, many black Latins, too, moved into the world of big-league baseball armed with the type of skills that few Americans in early years realized.
Academic text (1994) -
Until Branch Rickey took a chance on Jackie Robinson, no one ever considered a coloured baseball player in the majors.
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Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier in baseball because he was great at what he was paid to do.
Blog text (7) -
And I'd say, the second-greatest player is Jackie Robinson.
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Jackie Robinson was playing with the Dodgers in their spring training facility in Florida.
Academic text (1994) -
And if you know anything about Jackie Robinson, you know he had to take a lot of, uh, uh, guff from his fellow teammates, the fans, other teams and the press.
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Pasquel even tried to sign Jackie Robinson in his inaugural season in "organized baseball," further angering Branch Rickey.
Academic text (1994) -
Every year, fans honor Jackie Robinson's legacy on Jackie Robinson Day by wearing his number 42.
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The story of Jackie Robinson represents not only athletic achievement but also a significant moment in civil rights history.
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Major League Baseball celebrated its second annual Jackie Robinson Day on Friday.
Surface Forms
Morphology
Jackie + Robinson
This is an eponymic, culturally-specific metaphor: the meaning 'a person who breaks a long-standing barrier' rests on knowledge of Jackie Robinson's historical role in breaking baseball's racial color line. The literal constituents are merely a personal name and give no semantic cue, so a B1 learner who only knows the words would not be able to infer the figurative meaning without prior cultural exposure.
Etymology
Jackie Robinson was a United States baseball player who, in 1947, became the first Black athlete to play in Major League Baseball and so 'broke the color barrier' in the sport. He is remembered for his skill and courage that changed the game.