ball hog
3
7.7
- noun
- /bɔl hɔg/
- Offensive
:
acaparador del balón
- The coach warned him that being a ball hog could hurt the team's chances of winning the championship.
- a selfish ball hog
You end up having a ball hog who doesn't elevate the team.
- You end up having a ball hog who doesn't elevate the team.
Examples
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Many players dislike being on the same team as a ball hog who prioritizes individual success over teamwork.
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You end up having a ball hog who doesn't elevate the team.
-
Well, that ball-hog won your last game.
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You're a ball hog, just like your dad!
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But she's nothing but a ball-hog, Coach!
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The fans would call him a ball hog and declare that a scoring leader could never win a championship.
Blog text (25) -
You're a ball hog, Brian.
-
He plays no defense, he's a ball hog, and his shooting percentage is horrible.
Blog text (13) -
Jan Vesely's dad thinks Jan Vesely needs "to be more of a ball hog."
Blog text (23) -
During the match, his tendency to be a ball hog frustrated his teammates because he rarely passed the ball.
How Selfish
- Offensive
3
7.7
1
3.5
Surface Forms
Morphology
The compound is directly compositional: 'ball' (the play object) combined with 'hog' (someone who takes or keeps things selfishly) yields the meaning of a player who selfishly keeps the ball. This pattern of 'X-hog' meaning someone who hogs X is predictable and common in sports contexts, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents will readily infer the meaning.
Etymology
Ball hog comes from team sports, where a player keeps the ball and does not pass it to teammates. The word hog means a greedy pig, so picture a pig holding the ball to itself— that's why it means 'a player who refuses to pass'.