yard sale

n. especially in skiing or other snow-based sports, a fall or spill; a wipeout. Subjects: English, Sports & Recreation, Slang

Etymological Note: Perhaps from the appearance of “sporting goods spread out all over the yard.”

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Citations: 1988 Bob MacDonald Boston Globe (Jan. 31) “A Turn For The Better After A Year Off The Slopes, A Skier Bravely Undergoes Six Days Of Basic Training” p. 18: I responded to her praise with a “face plant” and “yard sale”—falling flat while my skis and poles went in four directions. It might have hurt if we both hadn’t been laughing so hard. 1991 grr@cbmvax.commodore.com (George Robbins) Usenet: rec.skiing (Jan. 3) “Re: ski goggles”: On the other hand, goggles can be a pain, tend to fog up at the wrong moments and are just another piece of hardware to recover after a “yard sale” type fall. 1997 [pkharvey@aol.com (PKHarvey)] Usenet: alt.magick (Oct. 21) “Re: T’ai-Chi Skiing: the Dance of the Cosmos”: The “yard sale” resulted completely from the fact that I was going to fast, given the fact that I was coming down from an easy slope where all the folks around me were going waaaay slower, and doing occasional panic stops. 2004 Tamara Miller @ Vail Mountain Vail Daily (Colo.) (Nov. 27) “Skiers and boarders unite in battle against the fall”: A good fall always makes for a good story. But boarders and skiers agreed that wearing a helmet is essential for making your average yard sale nothing more than a goofy tale to tell your friends. 2005 Ventura County Star (California) (July 4) “Cycling through the lingo”: Yard sale: A horrendous crash that leaves all of your belongings scattered as if on display for sale. Also a skiing term.

Posted 29 Nov 04 | Permalink | Tell a Friend