snakebite

v. to bring (someone) bad luck; to ruin or spoil (a shot, a deal, a game, etc.); snakebite n. bad luck; unluckiness; a curse. Subjects: English, Sports & Recreation

Editorial Note: The adjectival forms, snakebitten and snakebit ‘unlucky or cursed,’ are common.

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Citations: 1962 Ralph Bernstein @ Philadelphia Gettysburg Times (Pa.) (Nov. 9) “Pitt Picked to Lose, Yale to Take Penn”: Temple over Toledo—Hard luck Owls shake the snakebite. 1968 Charles E. Taylor @ Boca Raton, Fla. Chronicle-Telegram (Elyria, Ohio) (Jan. 13) “Raiders respect Green Bay legend” p. 20: Even Vince Lombardi—who many say puts the mental snakebite on opponents by being the Green Bay coach—isn’t convinced. 1982 Randy Minkoff @ Chicago (UPI) (June 22) “Deals Still Possible After Trade Deadline”: He just smiled and recalled that if you snakebite somebody’s waiver deal at one time, the time may come when you will want someone and another team will snakebite you. 1983 UPI (Oct. 15) (in Louisville, Ky.): What happened, in the eyes of Louisville Bob Weber, was something akin to a snake bite. Referring to Pitt’s 28-point outburst in the second half, Weber said it was “kind of a shock to me …It took away the morale that we had for the game and the enthusiasm we had.” 1984 Edmund Lawler @ Chicago (AP) (Sept. 12): Chicago Cubs pitcher Dennis Eckersley has good stats but hard luck. Eckersley’s latest bout with snakebite was Tuesday when when he limited the Philadelphia Phillies to two runs on five hits. He struck out nine hitters in the eight innings he worked, but it wasn’t good enough for his ninth win. 1988 Pohla Smith @ Pittsburgh, Pa. (UPI) (Apr. 4): Philadelphia stranded 11 baserunners, giving them a total of 28 left on base in three games. “Home runs continue to snake bite us,” said Manager Lee Eli. 2001 Jeff Barnard San Diego Union-Tribune (California) (Jan. 29) “Criminal past returns to haunt sickly ex-con, 70, after 27 years; California wants him to finish term” p. A3: Though his two accomplices have long since been paroled, and a past Oregon governor decided Burns was rehabilitated, California wants Burns to serve out the rest of his life sentence for the 1963 slaying of an officer after a bank robbery. “After 27 years, I couldn’t believe California would snake-bite me again,” Burns said from behind the glass of the visiting room in the Lane County jail in Eugene.

Posted 18 Mar 05 | Permalink | Tell a Friend