googly
7
9.6
- noun
- /ˈɡuːɡli/
- UK
:
googly
- He trained hard to master the googly, which became his secret weapon on the cricket field.
- googly eyes
Examples
-
Well, a googly is a leg break and it spins the other way.
-
Borrowing terminology from Penrose, Witten called such diagrams "googly," from the game of cricket.
Academic text (2004) -
A googly is a slow-pitched ball whose artfully disguised spin is opposite to what the batsman expects based on the bowler's action.
Academic text (2004) -
The bowler surprised everyone with his googly, sending the ball in an unexpected direction.
-
During the match, the skilled player cleverly used a googly to trick the batsman into missing the ball.
Synonyms
1
8.8
A baseball pitch that curves toward the same side it was thrown from
A cricket ball that seems to turn one way but turns the other
A cricket ball bowled to look like it will turn one way but turns the other
A ball bowled to look like a leg break but that turns the other way
A cricket ball bowled to spin the other way and fool the batsman
Surface Forms
Etymology
The word googly in cricket was named for a tricky delivery invented by Bernard Bosanquet around 1900. A helpful way to remember is to think of it as a 'trick' ball that looks like it will turn one way but actually turns the other, which is why a googly means a deceptive spin.