Clueless writing about our sport

[Conor Dary]

Not about track....but kind of humorous....

[tandfman]

Merriam-Webster definition: : to hit hard

Dictionary.com definition: Slang. to strike sharply or heavily

[Trickstat]

And for some unknown reason the term clocking has been used to describe knocking someone out cold, as in a boxing match.

Go figure.

I've heard of that one as well. I think in the UK it tends to mean hitting someone hard about the head which may or may not lead to knocking them out.

[KevinR]

And for some unknown reason the term clocking has been used to describe knocking someone out cold, as in a boxing match.

Go figure.

[Atticus]

I associate "clocking" with timing.

Indeed . . . e.g., 'He clocked a 4.41 at the Combine.'

As for cleaning clocks, my son once bragged that he would clean the clock of a sports opponent, which, after my son's defeat, I commented,

"That may be the first time that someone had to pay to provide said service."

Yeah, he didn't think it was all that funny either.

[Alan Shank]

Here's one, in an article about Dawn Harper Nelson coming out of retirement:
"She announced her retirement in September 2018, but decided while she was pregnant with her daughter, Harper, she wasn’t ready to hang up her cleats."

Cleats? We call them "spikes".
Cheers,
Alan Shank

[lonewolf]

I associate "clocking" with timing.

[dukehjsteve]

I hear "clock" used when you say, for instance talking about a race performance against a rival, " I'm going to clean your clock ! "

Sadly, I used this phrase talking to a friend of mine, and she kindly replied, " Steve, your clock-cleaning days are over. "

[Trickstat]

I was not aware of that colloquial British usage. But in this context, does it make sense?

No it doesn't.

[tandfman]

I was not aware of that colloquial British usage. But in this context, does it make sense? Isn't every performance in competition seen by someone else--at least by the officials? Does anyone consider a performance in practice, with no observers, to be a PB?

[Trickstat]

Here's another in the clueless headline writer category:

https://thebridge.in/sandra-babu-clocks-personal-best-national-junior-athletics-championships/

Headline: Long Jumper Sandra Babu clocks PB, qualifies for Worlds at National Junior Athletics Championships

Did you know that they clocked long jumps? Neither did I.

No. 'Clocking' a long jump PB would mean someone else seeing it happen (in colloquial British English).

[tandfman]

Here's another in the clueless headline writer category:

https://thebridge.in/sandra-babu-clocks-personal-best-national-junior-athletics-championships/

Headline: Long Jumper Sandra Babu clocks PB, qualifies for Worlds at National Junior Athletics Championships

Did you know that they clocked long jumps? Neither did I.

[Trickstat]

Whenever I type a small a, I inevitably hit Caps Lock instead ( pinkie too far left ! ) , and then type a flurry of capitals that have to then be erased.

My left hand has a tendency to type the letter a in the wrong place in words. I'm prone to typing "gargae" in place of "garage", for example.

[Master Po]

Keeping the word 'Amateur' in the name would be rather daft considering it has been within the rules to earn money as an athlete since 1981. It's bizarre that it took about 20 years to reflect that.

I just presumed 'amateur' to be a reference to the federations and governing bodies, not the athletes.

[gh]

unless i slow down and watch my fingers, Duplantis invariably comes out as Duplanatis for some reason.