bowl a googly

Slang Term BritishAustralian Unknown informal

Meaning: deliver a surprise or trick

出其不意,使人措手不及
Dar una sorpresa o pillar desprevenido.
不意を突く、驚かせる
허를 찌르다, 의표를 찌르다

To present something unexpected that catches someone off guard. From cricket's deceptive googly delivery.

提出出人意料的事情让人措手不及。源自板球中具有欺骗性的'googly'投球。
Presentar algo inesperado que pilla a alguien con la guardia baja. Proviene del lanzamiento engañoso llamado 'googly' en críquet.
相手の意表を突くようなことを仕掛けること。クリケットの変化球「グーグリー」に由来。
상대방의 허를 찌르는 예상치 못한 것을 내놓는 것. 크리켓의 속임수 투구인 구글리에서 유래.

Examples

  1. The interviewer bowled him a googly with that question.
    面试官用那个问题让他措手不及。
    El entrevistador le pilló desprevenido con esa pregunta.
    面接官はあの質問で彼の不意を突いた。
    면접관은 그 질문으로 그의 허를 찔렀다.
  2. They bowled us a googly by changing the deadline.
    他们突然改了截止日期,让我们猝不及防。
    Nos pillaron desprevenidos al cambiar la fecha límite.
    締め切りを変更されて意表を突かれた。
    마감일을 바꿔서 우리의 의표를 찔렀다.
  3. The exam bowled a few googlies.
    考试里有几道出其不意的题目。
    El examen tenía algunas preguntas trampa.
    試験にはいくつか意表を突く問題があった。
    시험에는 의표를 찌르는 문제가 몇 개 있었다.

Pronunciation

Usage Guide

Context: casual, business

Tone: surprised

✓ Do Say

  • Describe unexpected challenges
    描述出乎意料的挑战
    Describir retos inesperados
    予想外の困難を表現する
    예상치 못한 도전을 묘사할 때

✗ Don't Say

  • In American contexts - cricket not known
    在美国语境中不被理解,因为板球不流行
    En contextos estadounidenses no se entiende, ya que el críquet no es conocido
    アメリカではクリケットが知られていないため通じない
    미국에서는 크리켓을 모르므로 잘 통하지 않음

Origin & History

From cricket - a googly is a leg-spin delivery that turns unexpectedly in the opposite direction, deceiving the batsman.

Cultural Context

Era: timeless

Generation: all ages

Social background: all

More From This Topic

Kick off ★★★★★ To start something; also to become angry (British). Throw in the towel ★★★★★ To give up or admit defeat. Touch base ★★★★★ To make brief contact with someone. Drop the ball ★★★★★ To make a mistake or fail to do something. Game plan ★★★★★ A strategy or plan of action. Par for the course ★★★★★ Normal or expected; typical for the situation.
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