nothing but net
3
6.8
- idiom
- Jargon
:
canasta perfecta
- And nothing but net.
- hit nothing but net
- shot nothing but net
Examples
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Nothing but net.
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During the final seconds of the game, she made a three-point shot that was nothing but net.
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- Oh, nothing but net.
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Nothing but net, my man.
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- Nothing but net!
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He took one shot last night; the coach went 1-4 flat. He dribbled up, he pulled up, nothing but net.
Blog text (12) -
Nothing but net!
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CINDY: Nothing but net.
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To the surprise of no one, especially no one on the Nuggets' bench, Duncan's prayer found nothing but net, sending the Spurs into the locker room with a 20-point lead and plenty of energy en route to a bounce-back, 126-100 victory at the AT&T Center.
Blog text (21) -
He took the shot from long range, and it went in with nothing but net.
Surface Forms
Morphology
The phrase composes directly from 'nothing' + 'but' + 'net' to mean 'only the net' (i.e. the ball went through and touched nothing but the net). The 'nothing but X' construction is a productive, compositional pattern and, given knowledge of 'net' in a sports context, a B1 learner can infer the meaning of a perfect basketball shot.
Etymology
Nothing but net comes from basketball. It paints a clear picture of the ball going through the hoop and touching nothing but the net, so it means 'a perfect, clean shot'.