potato

n. in professional wrestling, a real hit that injures, as opposed to an orchestrated, harmless one. Also attrib., v. Subjects: English, United States, Entertainment, Sports & Recreation, Slang

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Citations: 1990 [bch@uncecs.edu (Byron C. Howes)] Usenet: rec.sport.pro-wrestling (July 17) “Wrestling Glossary”: potato v.t. To injure or knock another wrestler unconscious by hitting him on the head. 1992 [Dave Scherer (dave.scherer@execnet.com)] Usenet: rec.sport.pro-wrestling (May 12) “japanese tv”: Stan Hansen pinned Kenta Kobashi in a stiff brawl that appeared to have a potato bust open Kobashi’s nose. 1992 west@uncavx.unca.edu Usenet: rec.sport.pro-wrestling (Oct. 5) “[AAA] Triple-A Report 10/5”: Fishman took what looked like a potato chair shot from Santos (right on the skull, with nothing intervening). 1992 [v058kchy@ubvmsb.cc.buffalo.edu (Joseph Avolio)] Usenet: rec.sport.pro-wrestling (Oct. 27) “Re: WCW/WWF Happenings”: Flair received the injury after UW hit him with a potato shot in a match a couple weeks ago. 1993 Chris Dufresne Los Angeles Times (Feb. 22) “Requiem For A Giant: There Was No One Bigger In Wrestling Than Andre Rousimoff” p. 1: Funk, who estimates he wrestled him 15 times, said Andre could hurt you without trying. Wrestlers were grateful that The Giant was graceful enough to land very few accidental “potato” punches. 1997 John Kelso Austin American-Statesman (Texas) (May 12) “Cult songs, wrestling and deer, oh my” p. B1: If a wrestler is accidentally injured in a match due to a blow that was ill-timed, he was potatoed. 2000 Terry Gross Fresh Air (NPR) (Apr. 24) “Interview With Bret Hart”: In wrestling, there’s a thing called—they’re referred to as potatoes, is when you accidentally hurt somebody for real. And, you know, it—one potato’s OK, two potatoes is crossing the line, and the third one, you usually give what they call a receipt, which is you give one right back. 2000 New Straits Times (Malaysia) (July 2) “Chyna—The ninth wonder of the world” p. 74: Potato—To injure a wrestler by hitting him on the head or causing him to hit his head on something. 2006 Robert McClure Post-Intelligencer (Seattle, Washington) (May 22) “Hound has a nose for south end of a northbound whale”: Gator still has his potatoes.…He doesn’t like for us to call them testicles, so we call them potatoes.

Posted 14 Oct 04 | Permalink | Tell a Friend