| 词汇 | on the ball |
| 词源 | on the ball. Depending on how it is used, the expression has two different origins. To be on the ball, “to be alert, knowledgeable, on top of things,” probably refers to close and clever following of the ball by players in British soccer or American basketball. The phrase may have arisen indepen- dently in each sport, or it may have originated in the 1940s with the “bop and cool” jazz musicians and fans as the Amer- ican Dictionary of Slang suggests. There is no hard evidence for any theory, but the sports analogy seems more logical. To have something on the ball, “to be talented or effective in some way,” is surely of American origin, a baseball term re- ferring to the various “stuff ”—curves, spin, etc.—a good pitcher can put on the ball to frustrate a batter. See keep your eye on the ball. |
| 随便看 |
|
英语词源词典收录了13259条英语词源词条，基本涵盖了全部常用英语词汇的起源、历史，是研究英语词汇或通过词源学英语的必备工具。