stiffs

n.pl. in soccer, a reserve or second-string team or its players; a league, figurative or real, of such teams. Subjects: English, United Kingdom, Sports & Recreation

Editorial Note: Usually constructed with the definite article: the stiffs, similar to baseball’s the minors. Etymological Note: This is directly related to stiff ‘an ordinary man or sportsman.’

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Citations: 1993 Phil Daniels Independent (London, England) (Mar. 10) “Steeped in The Stiffs”: They call them The Stiffs. You know, the superstars who can’t even make the bench on match days, the would-bes, will-bes, used-to-bes, wannabes and never-will-bes. They are the reserves. 1995 Andrew Longmore Times (Lodon, England) (Sept. 14) “Nelson the Author of His Own Misfortunes”: Anything to lighten the prospect of playing in the Stiffs, the reserve team, again. 1996 Glenn Moore Irish Times (Apr. 6) “Sellars Moves In A Buyer’s Market” p. 16: With the increase in squads and wages at the big clubs there are plenty of experienced players in the stiffs. 2004 Iain King The Sun (U.K.) (Mar. 31) “Stephen won’t have Cald feat” p. 52: Once you have played first-team you never want to go back to the reserves. We had reserve teams with the likes of myself, Hugo Viana, Titus Bramble and Shola Ameobi in there. At times we had Pounds 60m worth of talent playing in the stiffs. 2005 Bill Urban United States National Soccer Players Association (May 16) “Urban Opinion: Say what?”: Having the threat of being forced to play “in the stiffs” “with the B-Team,” or “with the scrubs,” pick your pejorative, is surely a powerful motivating factor for any modern athlete.

Posted 17 May 05 | Permalink | Tell a Friend