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Discussion Groups / British English / July 2005Meaning of "8 ball"
Hi! I'm an italian girl, and I love the english culture. But I didn't understand a thing: the "8 ball". What does it means? It's not just the billiard's ball, isn't it? Thank you! > Hi! > I'm an italian girl, and I love the english culture. [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > > It's not just the billiard's ball, isn't it? It coulmd be but it might also be an expression for something and one I don't know. But in fact it can't be a "billiards" ball properly speaking because that is a game played with only three balls. There is a multi-ball game in Britian called Snooker and a similar one in the USA called Pool, it is only in the latter that the balls have numbers on them. > Hi! > I'm an italian girl, and I love the english culture. [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > > Thank you! Are you referring to the expression, "behind the eight-ball"? It means to be in a difficult or stressful situation. Derived from a game of pool where striking the eight-ball is to be avoided until the end of the game. >> Hi! >> I'm an italian girl, and I love the english culture. [quoted text clipped - 10 lines] > pool where striking the eight-ball is to be avoided until the end of > the game. Ah, the solution. Thanks. I've never heard this expression, an Amercanism I suppose. Approx. Fri, 22 Jul 2005 00:33:06 +0200, someone calling themselves "John of Aix" <j.murphy@libertysurf.fr> let their cat run across the keyboard resulting in: :-)= > Chic wrote: :-)= >> Hi! [quoted text clipped - 15 lines] :-)= Amercanism I suppose. :-)= 8 Ball One variation: one player has to sink solid pool balls, excluding the 8 ball, the other player has to sink the striped balls. After either player has sunk all their pool balls, that player must sink the eight ball in order to win. A player may hit the eight ball to drive another ball into a pocket. If a player accidentally sinks the 8ball prematurely that player automatically loses. two variation: sames as one variation except, during regular play the cue ball cannot touch the 8ball. Yes, when a player has only two balls left they are close to winning but to make the game interesting they may easily be "snookered" behind the 8ball by their opponent. hence, the expression "being behind the 8ball" meaning being in a difficult situation. Snooker is a pool game where snookering your opponent is the main object and uses different balls than the regular 15 balls numbered 1 through 15. Therefore, "being snookered" is approximately the same as "being 8balled", but less severe. Like, if you're snookered you got it tough, if you're 8balled you're dead. HTH Pax Vobiscum > Snooker is a pool game where snookering your opponent is the main object and uses different balls > than the regular 15 balls numbered 1 through 15. Therefore, "being snookered" is approximately the same as > "being 8balled", but less severe. Like, if you're snookered you got it tough, if you're 8balled you're dead. Snooker has 15 red balls and six other colours, has completely different rules, a much larger table and much smaller holes, compared with the size of the balls. I wouldn't say that the main object is to snooker your opponent. IME, this is only done when there are fewer points left on the table than are needed for the person who is behind to overtake the leader. Then the only way for the trailer to win is to try to position the cue ball so that the leader can't get a clear shot. If a player misses the target ball altogether s/he sacrifices penalty points but, even if s/he hits the target, it is unlikely to go in a pocket. > But I didn't understand a thing: the "8 ball". > What does it means? OED2: a. The black ball, numbered eight, in the North American variety of pool (pool n.3 3); this variety of pool. b. Phr. behind the eight ball, at a disadvantage; snookered. c. slang. A Negro. d. slang. A stupid person. e. (See quot. 1937.). 1937 Printers' Ink Monthly Apr. 53/1 Eight ball, an astatic microphone characterized by non-directional pick-ups and having a 360-degree beam. Giles Chic wrote... > Hi! > I'm an italian girl, and I love the english culture. [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > > Thank you! Some context please! It's the black ball in pool. It can mean 'to finish off' like the last ball to be potted in pool. A magic 8-ball is a game/toy Eight-ball is a character from Grand Theft Auto Eight-ball Zucchini - a squash (food) Eight-ball of cocaine (aka a henry) - drugs Eight-ball stout - a drink The expression "8 ball" is meant to denote something unfavorable, or a bad situation. For example, "My boss has asked for that report I am supposed to be working on. Now I'm behind the 8 ball!" The origin comes from Billiards, where sinking the 8 ball (the black ball) would come last. If you were trying to sink other balls in their numerical rotation it becomes disadvantageous to find your cue ball hidden or masked by the 8 ball, hence the expression "behind the 8 ball". > Hi! > I'm an italian girl, and I love the english culture. [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > > Thank you! In uk.culture.language.english on Mon, 25 Jul 2005 01:49:41 GMT, "Rose Melinis" <rosemelinis@yahoo.com> wrote: }The origin comes from Billiards, where sinking the 8 ball (the black ball) }would come last. Strange that - Billiards is a game with three balls. A red one. A white one and a white one with two small black dots. {R} > In uk.culture.language.english on Mon, 25 Jul 2005 01:49:41 GMT, "Rose > Melinis" <rosemelinis@yahoo.com> wrote: [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > Strange that - Billiards is a game with three balls. A red one. A white > one and a white one with two small black dots. I would have agreed with you and insisted that the expression is derived from pool, but a quick Google reveals lots of variants (probably mainly American), many with lots of balls with which I am unfamiliar. I don't have the charter or FAQ for this group to hand so can't say whether answers should be strictly limited to the English language as spoken by the British, or the English or whether the culture bit should be limited to what is normally practised in England, or Britain, or the English-speaking world... Anyone for Morris dancing or well-dressing? Sorry, billiards, as in "billiard hall" is a common name in the USA to denote any type of game played on a felt covered table, with pockets, and using balls and sticks. > In uk.culture.language.english on Mon, 25 Jul 2005 01:49:41 GMT, "Rose > Melinis" <rosemelinis@yahoo.com> wrote: [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] > > {R} |
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