Date: Thu, 6 Nov 1997 12:08:33 -0600

From: "Dickie M. Heaberlin" dh12[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]SWT.EDU

Subject: Re: "my bad" and other bounceball terminology



In addition to "my bad" there are many other words and phrases used on the

basketball court that weren't used when I started playing in 1945. And

there are some that have been lost. Back then when someone stayed back on

offense in order to get a long pass and make an easy basketball, he was

called a "radioman" or "snowbird." I never hear "radioman" any more and

haven't for many years, and "snowbird" isn't used much any more either. We

used to play "bounceball." Now people "shoot some hoops." The phrases

"pick-up" and "make it, take it" came in, I think, about the same time as

"my bad." Since the sixties we have new names for positions, too--point

guard, shooting guard, wings, and power forwards. And sports announcers

have added accounting terms such as "triple double" Rule changes have led

us to coin "three pointer," "possession arrow," "twenty-four second clock,"

and "lane violation."

Dick Heaberlin