bowl a googly en · VERB
Pronunciation
- (Australia) audio
Etymology
From the cricket term.
Meanings
-
(UK, figuratively, idiomatic, transitive) to surprise (someone); to introduce (to someone) something unexpected, underhand or requiring a quick reaction or correction.
Fred bowled me a googly when he asked me to explain those statistics in the meeting.
- (ambitransitive) Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see bowl, googly.
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| bowled a googly | Tense=Past, VerbForm=Part | lexicographic | |
| bowled a googly | Tense=Past | lexicographic | |
| bowling a googly | Tense=Pres, VerbForm=Part | lexicographic | |
| bowls a googly | Number=Sing, Person=3, Tense=Pres | lexicographic |
Relateds
throw somebody a curve · throw for a loop · curveball
Synonyms
catch unawares · wrong-foot · catch off guard
Translations (5)
fr poser une colle (to require a quick reaction from by doing something unexpected) · pl zadać podchwytliwe pytanie (to require a quick reaction from by doing something unexpected) · fi lyödä ällikällä (to require a quick reaction from by doing something unexpected) · fr prendre de court (to require a quick reaction from by doing something unexpected) · pl zadawać podchwytliwe pytanie (to require a quick reaction from by doing something unexpected)