Dictionary definition of “leave everything on the field”

leave everything on the field

v. phr. to commit wholly to, or to try one’s best at, a sport or a game. Subjects: English, Sports & Recreation, Colloquial

Editorial Note: Variations include leave (everything, it all) on the court, ice, floor, or in the ring, arena, stadium, etc.

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Citations: 1973 Mark Asher Washington Post (Oct. 15) “Jackson’s 4 Scores Enable Rams to Stave Off Cowboys” p. D3: We left everything on the field in Washington, particularly emotionally. 1984 Craig Smith Seattle Times (Washington) (Nov. 13) “Raider Safety Has Word For Hawks’ Boo-Fans—‘Bush’” p. C4: I came up here with the idea of doing all I could, working as hard as I could and leaving everything on the field, which I felt I did. 1985 Bruce Hunter Baton Rouge Morning Advocate (Lousiana) (Dec. 21) “LSU sluggish in win over Southeastern” p. 1C: I didn’t see our guys coming out with bumps and bruises. If you get beat by 21 and you leave everything on the floor, you can go with it. That’s what our guys have to learn. 1986 Billy Packer Sun-Times (Chicago, Ill.) (Mar. 31) “Louisville’s fresher troops key to battle” p. 112: Louisville didn’t have to play a game where it had to leave everything on the court. We’re only talking about one day’s rest, which is not a lot of time to turn a team around. 1986 Baton Rouge State Times (Louisiana) (Aug. 30) “Saints’ QB picture may clear up after tonight” p. 1C: This is my first NFL game.…Hey, I’m going all out. I’m leaving it all on the field this weekend. I’m not taking anything back to the locker room. 1992 Jim Thomas @ Boston, Massachusetts St. Louis Post-Dispatch (Missouri) (Nov. 16) “Sutter’s Style Wears Well In Boston …Bruins Look Strong Under New Coach” p. 1C: You know what you get—a guy that’s going to be intense and is going to be demanding everything you’ve got. He wants you to leave everything on the ice because that’s the way he does his job. 2006 Kansas City Star (Missouri, Kansas) (July 17) “Woods sells the goods” (in Pasadena, California): First he held forth at length the press conference for long stretches, then spent three solid hours that evening at the CBS party at the Rose Bowl, glad-handing critics on the stadium turf and talking a mile a minute into their tape recorders, sometimes hammy, sometimes deadly serious. As they say in sports, he left everything on the field.

Posted 25 Jul 06 | Permalink | Tell a Friend