Sports Anagrams: Can You Unscramble These Words All About Sports?

SPORTS

By: Daniel Yetman

6 Min Quiz

Image: kupicoo / E+ / Getty Images, pjohnson1 / E+ / Getty Images

About This Quiz

Sports analogies make great metaphors for life. Once you start thinking about all the sport words and phrases you use every day, you won't be able to help but notice them.

You might recognize 'Get the ball rolling' but would you be able to recognize the expression 'Blathering toll gel'? How about 'dank slum'? If you were able to rearrange that to slam dunk, you might already be on your way to solving these 35 anagrams. 

The origin of the anagram goes back to at least Ancient Greece, which seems fitting since Greece is also the site of the original Olympics. People at that time thought that rearranging the letters in people's names could reveal hidden meanings. Do you think there's any truth to that?

These days, anagrams are usually used in games or 'zpzuels'. If you want to be able to figure out all the anagrams in this quiz, you're going to have to engage the right hemisphere of your brain, which is responsible for creativity. Think you have a brain built for puzzle solving? If you're up for the challenge, click start and let's get going!

'Honeymooners cue ivory drab' can be unscrambled into which sports expression?

To have somebody in your corner means to have somebody on your side that you trust. It comes from boxing where each boxer's support staff takes care of them between rounds in their corner of the boxing ring.

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You can't 'Cherry ball at' when you play soccer. Which expression is it?

Depending on the sport, carrying the ball may or may not be advantageous. If you're playing football, you should carry the ball all the way to the end zone. However, if it's basketball it's not going to do you much good.

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If you get kicked out of a game, you'll have to 'Fraternal hob yoga.' Which expression is it when unscrambled?

Have you ever heard this expression? It's commonly used in soccer when a player leaves a game because he or she got a red card. You may have also heard it as 'to go for an early shower'.

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Have you ever used the expression 'City week stick'?

You might have used this expression even if you didn't know what it meant. It was original used to describe playing situations that were difficult or a field that's damp from rain.

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'Blanket Clock ad' is something you do in physical spots. Which of the following expressions is it?

Blocking and tackling are two things that are important in physical sports like rugby or football. You can almost hear it as a mantra some coach yells at his players on a field somewhere.

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Which of the following can be unscrambled to 'Racquet Bark'?

The quarterback is such an important player that he/she is like the... quarterback of the team. If you work on a project with a group, and you're the most important member of the group, you might call yourself the quarterback of the group.

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You probably made a 'Tiki a smoke ore' when you were young. What does it mean?

Every great athlete was a rookie at some point in their career. It's not easy being the new guy on a team. But hey, you learn more from your mistakes than your victories, right? Some rookie must have messed up pretty badly to start this expression.

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When was the last time you 'Tin hole tee'?

To toe the line refers to stepping up to the line before a track and field race. In the middle distance races, you can step up to the line, but your toe has to be completely behind the line to start.

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'Ha my lair' is what you do when you're getting desperate. Can you unscramble it?

The term 'Hail Mary' is commonly used in many different sports. It's used synonymously with 'a long shot'. It refers to being so desperate that you're relying on prayer to secure the win.

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Cann you figure out the meaning of 'A rustproof cheer'?

This golf expression is about as straightforward as they come. If something is par for the course, it's typical or expected. That being said, literally shooting par isn't always an easy task...

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Can you figure out this one: 'Hottest pale pet'?

If you've ever watched a game a baseball, you've probably heard this phrase before. Even if you've never played baseball, you're likely heard it at some point in your life if you live in North America.

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Are you a 'Every hit hat'?

The expression 'heavy hitter' conjures images of any of the all-time great boxers like Muhammad Ali or Mike Tyson. You wouldn't want to be on the receiving end of a punch from one of these guys in their prime!

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Any inkling to what 'Uptake rift hit hoot' means?

This expression is relatively self-explanatory. If you hit the ball out of the park, you hit a home run. You might also use this expression in your day to day life when you nail a big project.

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Can you 'Cogitated hens' with this quiz?

Go to the distance refers to going all twelve rounds in boxing without getting knocked out. It's often used colloquially to mean to see something unpleasant through to its ending.

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'Hall to ben' is what a winner does. Which of the following does it mean?

'On the ball' is such a common saying that you might have said it today without thinking of it as a sports saying. It comes from soccer and means being in possession of the ball.

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Are you able to 'Ownership hutch tell'?

If you roll with the punches, you go along with a situation without planning too far ahead. The expression originally comes from boxing to express the meaning to react to things as they happen.

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Are you getting a 'Coned winds' with this quiz?

If you're a runner, you'll understand the concept of a second wind perfectly. Sometimes you hit a wall when you're sure you can't go on and then out of nowhere you feel fresh again. Sometimes the expression is used when team sports, too.

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Is it time to 'Bearish rate'?

To raise the bar is a clear allusion to raising a bar during high jump. Although, the expression could also be used for pole vault. It has to be one of the most common sports sayings used day to day.

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How about 'Count who pen'?

Boxing makes a great analogy for life. You try to do your best to succeed, but you're in direct competition with other people who are also trying to succeed. And in both life and boxing, sometimes you get punched in the face...

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Can you figure out the meaning of 'Swooning mice gut'?

A lot of saying that are common in the English language got their origins from boxing. Coming out swinging refers to starting a round aggressively by leading the attack and trying to overwhelm the other fighter.

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What's 'Wound ant do' when unscrambled?

Down and out has crept into English vernacular as a common idiom. In boxing, it refers to being on the mat but not yet eliminated from the match while the judge is counting to ten.

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Are you going to 'Hardly lab lap'?

The expression 'to play hardball' is often used in the context of being a tough negotiator. Do you play hardball in your negotiations or do you cave at the thought of confrontation?

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'laboriously in curt' can be unscrambled to which of the following?

This is another sports expression that's used frequently in business. You might even use it in a dating context. If you put yourself out there with a special somebody and you're waiting to hear back, the ball's in their court.

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'I worms skin' is which common sports saying?

Maybe this expression came from somebody trying to teach somebody else in the toughest way imaginable. Can you imagine somebody pushing you in the pool and shouting 'sink or swim' after you?

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If it's a close game, it comes 'Withdrew no toe'. Which expression is that?

The expression down to the wire originally comes from horse racing. At the end of the horse race, a wire is laid on the ground as a finish line. Therefore, if the race comes down to the wire, it's a close race!

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Can you unscramble 'beholder a due'?

These days, in the major leagues, doubleheaders are fairly rare. Usually, they occur after a game has been rained out. Do you love baseball enough to sit through two games back to back?

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Can you solve 'Bile rant it'?

If you've ever watched a game that's gone into sudden death overtime, you might have caught yourself biting your nails. Nail-biting games are the best kind, although they can be nerve-wracking if you have an invested interest in one of the teams.

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Are you tall enough to 'Mad slunk'?

Even if you don't watch basketball, you've probably seen highlights of players dunking. There are even professional dunkers who travel around the world showing off their skills. Doesn't that sound like a dream job?

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Do you 'He overreaches he hare'?

This expression might not be as common as some on the list, however, you may still hear it occasionally. It originally means to have a bet put down on a horse in a race, and therefore, have an interest in the race.

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Have you ever scored a 'Track hit'?

The term hat trick refers to when a player scoring three goals in hockey. In some stadiums, it's common practice to throw your hat on the ice after a player scores a hat trick (good luck getting your hat back).

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What's this hockey expression when unscrambled 'Gloved hot reps'?

Canada has more professional hockey players playing in the NHL than any other country. Although they don't always win the Olympics or World Championships, they're always a threat to win.

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Have you ever been the 'Salmon taut'?

The expression 'last man out' originally comes from baseball. Picture a line of players running out onto the field in front of a cheering crowd. Nobody wants to be the last one out on the field!

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Can you figure out this anagram 'Blathering toll gel'?

Have you ever used the phrase 'get the ball rolling' to mean to commence an activity? It's a popular saying that goes back to at least the late 1800s. It's thought to have originated from some games where the ball is rolled into play to start.

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'We noisy ban' is which of these expressions?

This is another horse racing expression that has a fairly clear origin. Imagine a group of horses all gunning for the finish line neck and neck. How far ahead is the winner? About a nose ahead.

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Sometimes you know when it's time to 'Worthwhile to net.' Which of the following fit?

In boxing, throwing the towel into the ring is a symbol of surrender. This expression has gained popular usage in the English language. How often do you use it in your daily life?

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