field general
1
6.7
- noun
- /fiːld ˈdʒɛnərəl/
- Jargon
:
mariscal de campo
- Carson Palmer was a field general yesterday.
- field general calls
Examples
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With pressure increasing to produce victories quickly, the bold among the struggling in the NFL are realizing that for themselves and their youthful field generals, the future is now.
Blog text (23) -
As a field general, however, he had no equal.
Blog text (27) -
But NFL coaches are so reluctant to do this, probably because they think it's a great shame for their starter and field general.
Blog text (6) -
On the offensive side of the ball, there are a few roster spots still up for grabs, and we'll start with the field general.
Blog text (26) -
From his subordinates' perspective, he was "almost entirely lacking in force," was "not the best leader or field general," and "didn't have a clue as to how a division worked."
Academic text (1995) -
Adding in several surprising sophomore QBs earning starting jobs, you have 1/4 of the NFL's offenses being run by field generals with less than 1 year of professional football experience.
Blog text (23) -
During the game, the quarterback proved to be an exceptional field general, effectively directing the team's plays.
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To lead the offense successfully, a quarterback must act as a capable field general, making quick decisions on the fly.
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In American football, a good field general understands the strategy and can adapt to the opponents' tactics.
Synonyms
587
3.9
A player in American football who leads the team's plays and usually throws the ball
2
7.4
A player who leads the team's offense by calling plays, usually the quarterback
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning is directly derivable from combining 'field' (playing ground) with 'general' (senior military leader): it straightforwardly denotes a leader who directs play on the field. This is a simple, cross-linguistically common metaphor (a 'general' applied to a sports context), so a B1 learner who knows both words should be able to infer the MWE meaning.
Etymology
The expression field general comes from the image of a general standing on the field directing soldiers in battle. That's why in football the quarterback is called a field general, someone who 'leads' and 'directs' the team on the field.