Image: kupicoo / E+ / Getty Images, pjohnson1 / E+ / Getty Images
About This Quiz
Sports analogies make great metaphors for life. Once you start thinking about all the sport words and phrases you use every day, you won't be able to help but notice them.
You might recognize 'Get the ball rolling' but would you be able to recognize the expression 'Blathering toll gel'? How about 'dank slum'? If you were able to rearrange that to slam dunk, you might already be on your way to solving these 35 anagrams.ÂÂ
The origin of the anagram goes back to at least Ancient Greece, which seems fitting since Greece is also the site of the original Olympics. People at that time thought that rearranging the letters in people's names could reveal hidden meanings. Do you think there's any truth to that?
These days, anagrams are usually used in games or 'zpzuels'. If you want to be able to figure out all the anagrams in this quiz, you're going to have to engage the right hemisphere of your brain, which is responsible for creativity. Think you have a brain built for puzzle solving? If you're up for the challenge, click start and let's get going!
'Honeymooners cue ivory drab' can be unscrambled into which sports expression?
Anonymous beer hive cry odor
Shy oven beer around icy room
Have somebody in your corner
To have somebody in your corner means to have somebody on your side that you trust. It comes from boxing where each boxer's support staff takes care of them between rounds in their corner of the boxing ring.
Men honor a buoy rediscovery
You can't 'Cherry ball at' when you play soccer. Which expression is it?
Halter cry lab
Carry the ball
Depending on the sport, carrying the ball may or may not be advantageous. If you're playing football, you should carry the ball all the way to the end zone. However, if it's basketball it's not going to do you much good.
Harry cell bat
Heart cry ball
If you get kicked out of a game, you'll have to 'Fraternal hob yoga.' Which expression is it when unscrambled?
Go for an early bath
Have you ever heard this expression? It's commonly used in soccer when a player leaves a game because he or she got a red card. You may have also heard it as 'to go for an early shower'.
Barefoot hay gnarl
Flagrant hobo year
Frontage hay labor
Advertisement
Have you ever used the expression 'City week stick'?
Kick city stew
Sticky wicket
You might have used this expression even if you didn't know what it meant. It was original used to describe playing situations that were difficult or a field that's damp from rain.
Kick west city
Sky twice tick
'Blanket Clock ad' is something you do in physical spots. Which of the following expressions is it?
Blacked lock ant
Block and tackle
Blocking and tackling are two things that are important in physical sports like rugby or football. You can almost hear it as a mantra some coach yells at his players on a field somewhere.
Tackled on black
Knocked cat ball
Which of the following can be unscrambled to 'Racquet Bark'?
Quart backer
Quack barter
Quarterback
The quarterback is such an important player that he/she is like the... quarterback of the team. If you work on a project with a group, and you're the most important member of the group, you might call yourself the quarterback of the group.
Car quark bet
Advertisement
You probably made a 'Tiki a smoke ore' when you were young. What does it mean?
Rookie Mistake
Every great athlete was a rookie at some point in their career. It's not easy being the new guy on a team. But hey, you learn more from your mistakes than your victories, right? Some rookie must have messed up pretty badly to start this expression.
Irksome oak tie
Smoke, koi, irritate
Ate irksome koi
When was the last time you 'Tin hole tee'?
Toe the line
To toe the line refers to stepping up to the line before a track and field race. In the middle distance races, you can step up to the line, but your toe has to be completely behind the line to start.
Hit eel note
Hen to elite
The lion tee
'Ha my lair' is what you do when you're getting desperate. Can you unscramble it?
Hail Mary
The term 'Hail Mary' is commonly used in many different sports. It's used synonymously with 'a long shot'. It refers to being so desperate that you're relying on prayer to secure the win.
Hail army
Hi lay ram
I lay harm
Advertisement
Cann you figure out the meaning of 'A rustproof cheer'?
Tap her fourscore
Par for the course
This golf expression is about as straightforward as they come. If something is par for the course, it's typical or expected. That being said, literally shooting par isn't always an easy task...
Perforate or such
Fracture ore hoops
Can you figure out this one: 'Hottest pale pet'?
Hotel at pest pet
Athletes opt pet
Athlete pop test
Step to the plate
If you've ever watched a game a baseball, you've probably heard this phrase before. Even if you've never played baseball, you're likely heard it at some point in your life if you live in North America.
Are you a 'Every hit hat'?
Heave thirty
Heavy hitter
The expression 'heavy hitter' conjures images of any of the all-time great boxers like Muhammad Ali or Mike Tyson. You wouldn't want to be on the receiving end of a punch from one of these guys in their prime!
very hit heat
Hive, try, hate
Advertisement
Any inkling to what 'Uptake rift hit hoot' means?
Haiku theft riot top
Hit it out of the park
This expression is relatively self-explanatory. If you hit the ball out of the park, you hit a home run. You might also use this expression in your day to day life when you nail a big project.
Hook it up, hit fatter
It partook thief hut
Can you 'Cogitated hens' with this quiz?
Cheating dotes
Detaching toes
Go the distance
Go to the distance refers to going all twelve rounds in boxing without getting knocked out. It's often used colloquially to mean to see something unpleasant through to its ending.
Ceased tonight
'Hall to ben' is what a winner does. Which of the following does it mean?
Hen ballot
Hell baton
On the ball
'On the ball' is such a common saying that you might have said it today without thinking of it as a sports saying. It comes from soccer and means being in possession of the ball.
Lethal nob
Advertisement
Are you able to 'Ownership hutch tell'?
Wrenches hut hilltop
Roll with the punches
If you roll with the punches, you go along with a situation without planning too far ahead. The expression originally comes from boxing to express the meaning to react to things as they happen.
Worthiest hell punch
Pinwheel thrush colt
Are you getting a 'Coned winds' with this quiz?
winced nods
Winded cons
Second wind
If you're a runner, you'll understand the concept of a second wind perfectly. Sometimes you hit a wall when you're sure you can't go on and then out of nowhere you feel fresh again. Sometimes the expression is used when team sports, too.
Now end disc
Is it time to 'Bearish rate'?
Raise the bar
To raise the bar is a clear allusion to raising a bar during high jump. Although, the expression could also be used for pole vault. It has to be one of the most common sports sayings used day to day.
Rabies heart
Eraser habit
As brier heat
Advertisement
How about 'Count who pen'?
Nut cow phone
Punt won echo
One-two punch
Boxing makes a great analogy for life. You try to do your best to succeed, but you're in direct competition with other people who are also trying to succeed. And in both life and boxing, sometimes you get punched in the face...
Own punt echo
Can you figure out the meaning of 'Swooning mice gut'?
Wincing some gout
Swinging outcome
Come out swinging
A lot of saying that are common in the English language got their origins from boxing. Coming out swinging refers to starting a round aggressively by leading the attack and trying to overwhelm the other fighter.
Winging outcomes
What's 'Wound ant do' when unscrambled?
Aunt down do
Unto dawn do
Tuna own odd
Down and out
Down and out has crept into English vernacular as a common idiom. In boxing, it refers to being on the mat but not yet eliminated from the match while the judge is counting to ten.
Advertisement
Are you going to 'Hardly lab lap'?
All harp badly
Hydra ball lap
Play hardball
The expression 'to play hardball' is often used in the context of being a tough negotiator. Do you play hardball in your negotiations or do you cave at the thought of confrontation?
Hardly ball lap
'laboriously in curt' can be unscrambled to which of the following?
Ball is in your court
This is another sports expression that's used frequently in business. You might even use it in a dating context. If you put yourself out there with a special somebody and you're waiting to hear back, the ball's in their court.
Atrociously rub nil
Sour out brilliancy
Curiosity blur loan
'I worms skin' is which common sports saying?
In mow risks
In worm kiss
Swim on risk
Sink or swim
Maybe this expression came from somebody trying to teach somebody else in the toughest way imaginable. Can you imagine somebody pushing you in the pool and shouting 'sink or swim' after you?
Advertisement
If it's a close game, it comes 'Withdrew no toe'. Which expression is that?
Thirteen do wow
Whitened row to
Down to the wire
The expression down to the wire originally comes from horse racing. At the end of the horse race, a wire is laid on the ground as a finish line. Therefore, if the race comes down to the wire, it's a close race!
Either two down
Can you unscramble 'beholder a due'?
Doubleheader
These days, in the major leagues, doubleheaders are fairly rare. Usually, they occur after a game has been rained out. Do you love baseball enough to sit through two games back to back?
hauler doe bed
Huddle bee oar
Behead louder
Can you solve 'Bile rant it'?
nail-bitter
If you've ever watched a game that's gone into sudden death overtime, you might have caught yourself biting your nails. Nail-biting games are the best kind, although they can be nerve-wracking if you have an invested interest in one of the teams.
Bitten rail
Brain title
Liar bitten
Advertisement
Are you tall enough to 'Mad slunk'?
Dank slum
Musk land
Slam dunk
Even if you don't watch basketball, you've probably seen highlights of players dunking. There are even professional dunkers who travel around the world showing off their skills. Doesn't that sound like a dream job?
Slunk dam
Do you 'He overreaches he hare'?
Than a cohesive hearer
Anchovies are heather
Have a horse in the race
This expression might not be as common as some on the list, however, you may still hear it occasionally. It originally means to have a bet put down on a horse in a race, and therefore, have an interest in the race.
Niche overhears a hate
Have you ever scored a 'Track hit'?
Kit chart
Hat trick
The term hat trick refers to when a player scoring three goals in hockey. In some stadiums, it's common practice to throw your hat on the ice after a player scores a hat trick (good luck getting your hat back).
Thick art
Hart tick
Advertisement
What's this hockey expression when unscrambled 'Gloved hot reps'?
Drop the gloves
Canada has more professional hockey players playing in the NHL than any other country. Although they don't always win the Olympics or World Championships, they're always a threat to win.
Gloved her post
Pot-held groves
Ghost lever pod
Have you ever been the 'Salmon taut'?
Almost tuna
Last man out
The expression 'last man out' originally comes from baseball. Picture a line of players running out onto the field in front of a cheering crowd. Nobody wants to be the last one out on the field!
Salt amount
Mount Atlas
Can you figure out this anagram 'Blathering toll gel'?
Hollering gill glen
Get the ball rolling
Have you ever used the phrase 'get the ball rolling' to mean to commence an activity? It's a popular saying that goes back to at least the late 1800s. It's thought to have originated from some games where the ball is rolled into play to start.
lengthier bolt gall
Brighten legal toll
Advertisement
'We noisy ban' is which of these expressions?
Win by a nose
This is another horse racing expression that has a fairly clear origin. Imagine a group of horses all gunning for the finish line neck and neck. How far ahead is the winner? About a nose ahead.
Ebony swain
Wise by anon
Wins by a one
Sometimes you know when it's time to 'Worthwhile to net.' Which of the following fit?
Win the howler tot
In boxing, throwing the towel into the ring is a symbol of surrender. This expression has gained popular usage in the English language. How often do you use it in your daily life?
One whittle throw
Who we throttle in
Throw in the towel
You Got:
/35
kupicoo / E+ / Getty Images, pjohnson1 / E+ / Getty Images