bang

v. in baseball, to call off a game because of inclement weather. Subjects: English, Baseball, Sports & Recreation, Slang

Editorial Note: This verb is usually transitive: bang a game. Etymological Note: Perhaps from the notion of a judge banging a gavel, an act of finality comparable to a referee deciding to end a game prematurely.

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Citations: 1986 Dennis Brackin Star-Tribune (Minneapolis, St. Paul, Minn.) (Mar. 22) “When it rains it pours—Twins all wet again”: Last year we’re down 7-3 in New York and they bang the game after 32 minutes. 1994 Matt Michael Post-Standard (Syracuse, N.Y.) (Apr. 13) “Chiefs Slosh Past Ottawa At Big Mac Syracuse Wins Its Home Opener In A Game Called After Seven Innings Because Of Rain” p. B1: After an hour-long rain delay, the umpires called the game because the field was a mess.…"Early in the game I thought, ‘Yeah, we’re going to get banged pretty soon,’ but once we got into the fifth, sixth inning and they didn’t bang it I said, ‘Well, we’re going to play right through.‘“ 1995 [Rob Mallicoat (mallyman)] 1995 Replacement Diary (Apr. 7): We were rained on for 6 solid hours and the game was banged by 4:30. 2003 David Andriesen Seattle Post-Intelligencer (Wash.) (May 16) “A Win Worth Its Wait ; Rain Halts Long Enough For Mariners To Secure Victory” p. D1: The baseball slang for canceling a game is to “bang it.” 2003 John Hoffman OriolesHangout.com (July 13) “Orioles Minor League Game Summaries”: The game was banged after a 48-minue rain delay, that included 30-minutes of actual rain. 2005 [Marc] Reds Spring Training (Cincinatti, Ohio) (Mar. 9) “Wet Wednesday”: As of this moment, neither game has been called off—or “banged,” in clubhouse parlance—but plenty of the players have their fingers crossed.

Posted 10 Mar 05 | Permalink | Tell a Friend