From the Track to Everyday Talk: The Enduring Legacy of Horse Racing Idioms
From “dead heat” to “get one’s goat,” so many idioms have originated from the racetrack. Some date back centuries while others have been coined in more recent years and they have found our way into everyday language.
The Origins of “Dead Heat”
Take the origins of the term dead heat for instance. In the exceptionally early years of thoroughbred racing, it was common for horses to contest heats for eligibility to contest major races. Yet, when two or more horses crossed the line together in a heat with the judges unable to separate them to find an outright winner, another heat was run between the close finishers. The first heat was declared dead – therefore a dead heat became a tied result. Today, in any form of competition where competitors cannot be split, the result is declared a dead heat.
Beyond the Finish Line: Other Racing-Born Phrases
Let’s have a look at some other sayings that have originated from the racetrack.
To Get One’s Goat – To Irritate Someone
Origin: Horse trainers have been known to place goats in the horse stalls with the thoroughbreds to calm anxious horses down on race days. It is said that rival horse trainers would sometimes steal these goats, to upset the opposing horse attempting to irritate the trainer and upset the horse.
Hands Down – To Succeed Easily and Decisively
Origin: The saying Hands down was also born in the world of horse racing. In racing when your horse is so far ahead of the chasing pack, the jockey can sit back, relax and still win the race even without even moving the reins of the horse. The jockey’s hands are down. Winning in a canter is a similar expression also from the track, but winning hands down is a truer description.
By a Nose – A Close Result
Origin: To “win by a nose” is commonly used to describe a close victory in sports or a close result in anything. However, its origins and historical context travel beyond just the literal meaning of winning a race by a small margin. This phrase can be traced back to ancient Greece, where horse racing was popular. Sometimes it was too close to call. To solve this problem, judges began using their noses as measuring tools. The judge would stand at the finish line with his nose on the line and determine which horse’s nose had crossed first. This method became known as “winning by a nose.”
Starting from Scratch – To Start from Nothing
Origin: The phrase “starting from scratch” comes from how horse races were initially started before introducing the starting barriers/gates. The scratch was the line marked on the track usually scratched in the turf or dirt and the horses had to gather behind the line to start the race.
Champing/Chomping at the Bit – To Be Eager
Origin: This saying comes from the way a racehorse that is excited or keen to run his race chews/chomps at the bit placed between its teeth. It’s now a common part of the everyday language when someone just wants to get started to get things done, they are said to be champing/chomping at the bit.
Give and Take – To Compromise
Origin—In the 18th Century, larger and better horses were given more weight to carry, and smaller and inferior horses had weight taken off them in the early version of handicap races. These races were known as “Give and Take Races.”
Jockeying Positions – Getting to a Favourable Spot
Origin: Again in the 18th century when horses were being lined up at the start the best position on the scratch line from the get-go was crucial to the horses running position.
In The Frame – To Be Accused or Alerted
Origin: Long before our digital semaphore boards and display screens at racecourses, the race results and jockey names were displayed using sign boards and the horse numbers, jockeys names, and results were placed into a frame. For all to see alerting the punting public of any changes or scratchings from races. The term for this were numbers, riders and results are “in the frame”.
We’re in the Home Straight – Close to Finishing
Origin: Born out of horse racing where races finish in the home straight in front of the public grandstand. When the horses were in the race’s final stages, they are in the home straight.
Run for your money – To Give a Good Contest
Origin: – It comes from racing where if a horse you’ve backed may or may not win but performs with credit – you have at least got “a run for your money”. 🏆DA
