I’m enjoying watching the Olympics. For me, it’s not just the action that’s entertaining—I also enjoy the words used to describe the action. Let’s look at some:

Hat Tricks in Hockey

I know that a hockey player makes a hat trick if he or she scores three goals in one game. By why is it called a hat trick? Apparently the term began among cricket teams, where it was the sporting thing to buy a new hat for any bowler who dismissed three batsmen with consecutive deliveries. Sort of like three strikes, you’re out except to three different batters. Hockey adopted the term to mean three goals, you’re great.

The Button in Curling

Curling is cool! A friend likens it to watching paint dry, but I get a kick out of it (partly because the announcers have done an excellent job of educating us viewers, and partly because I can multi-task while watching. It’s not like you need to be glued to every second of the action.)

My favorite term in curling is the button. In most target-focused sports, we call that the Bull’s Eye. Bull’s Eye has a intense and belligerent sound to it, suitable for something in which you embed sharp projectiles. But button, onto which the curlers slide a smooth stone, fits the gentle action of curling.

Jump n’ Spin

Figure skating likes to name moves after the skaters who perfected them; for instance, Axel and Salchow. I know the essential difference of their jumps (Axel starts forward, Salchow starts backward), but all the skaters move so fast, I can’t tell how many times they’ve rotated.

In snowboarding, they helpfully designate spins by degree of rotation. A 360 is a 360° – spinning around once. A 540 is spinning around once-and-a-half (so it’s a type of Axel). Snowboarding terms also have a whimsical realism about them:  An inverted aerial with a 180° flip is called a crippler. I don’t think this was named after some rider named Crippler.

I’ve added to my vocabulary during the Winter Olympics. Sure, these are terms I can use only in narrow context but knowing the lingo adds to my appreciation of the athletes’ prowess and artistry.

Next week, I’ll consider more lingo – and its dangers.