Election coverage expression "state XXX is in play"

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T. Z. - 11 Nov 2004 18:51 GMT

Election In Play, From Pres. Race To Senate
By Eddie Pells, Associated Press Writer
Nov 2, 2004 1:23 pm US/Mountain
DENVER (AP) The Republican-leaning state of Colorado
was very much in play Tuesday, with some polls showing
Democrat John Kerry within range of President Bush and
the race for an open Senate seat expected to come down
to just a few percentage points.
<<<

I swear I never heard this expression "So, the state
of xxx is still very much in play" 4 years ago.

(Is this expression originally from golf or soccer?)

How the quotes are used throughout the following
article (they are not sarcastic/ironic quotes) also
suggests that this use is new.

______________________________

Arizona acts not like state 'in play'
Robert Robb
The Arizona Republic
Nov. 9, 2004 09:32 AM

Postscript thoughts about the Arizona election:
? Tell me again the one about Arizona being "in play"
in the presidential race.

In 2000, George W. Bush took the state by the
registration margin Republicans then had over
Democrats, about 5 percent.

In 2004, although both parties had lost registration
share to independents, Republicans still maintained
about a 5 percent advantage over Democrats. Yet Bush
carried the state by twice the registration
differential, or 10 percent.

According to the Arizona exit poll, 14 percent more
self-described Republicans turned out to vote than
Democrats.

Those aren't the characteristics of a state "in play."

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Ben Zimmer - 11 Nov 2004 19:23 GMT

> Election In Play, From Pres. Race To Senate
> By Eddie Pells, Associated Press Writer
[quoted text clipped - 10 lines]
>
> (Is this expression originally from golf or soccer?)

Why not baseball, (US) football, basketball, or any other sport where a
ball or similar object can be said to be "in play" (i.e., "in condition
or position to be legitimately played" as MWCD defines the phrase)?

> How the quotes are used throughout the following
> article (they are not sarcastic/ironic quotes) also
> suggests that this use is new.

[snip]

A Nexis search suggests that the expression was popularized in the 1988
presidential race:

    Washington Post
    November 7, 1988
    "There are still plenty of states in play that get us
    to 270 if we continue moving the way we have the last
    48 hours," Sasso said.

    Washington Post
    November 7, 1988
    A View From New Jersey
    By Michael Barone
    Why do Americans keep electing Republican presidents
    and Democratic congresses? For clues I went to New
    Jersey, one of the few big states that is in play in
    the presidential race ...

    The Toronto Star
    November 9, 1988
    "Missouri could make the difference in this campaign,"
    Dukakis said in one interview. "We're still in play ...
    Your vote counts."

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T. Z. - 11 Nov 2004 22:02 GMT

Thanks, Ben, that's excellent information.

> How the quotes are used throughout the following
> article (they are not sarcastic/ironic quotes) also
> suggests that this use is new.

I guess those were "horror quotes" after all.

> I swear I never heard this expression "So, the state
> of xxx is still very much in play" 4 years ago.

1988, eh?

4 years ago, the race was close, with many states "in
play", but I SWEAR I didn't hear that expression.

Dan Rather (when he wasn't excitedly talking about
"hot tamale" and "hopping turtles")
said
"therefore, we must leave [State] in the Undecided
column" etc.

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Discussion Groups / British English / November 2004

Election coverage expression "state XXX is in play"