Act Acting » Voice Acting » OT? Use of term "convert" in sports

OT? Use of term "convert" in sports

Question:

This question probably could be posted to any number of groups, but it’s on my mind after today’s playoff. An announcer observed that Brooks (I think it was Brooks–I was in the other room) could have done worse on one of those par fives than to _convert_ with an eagle.  This is a common usage in sports (for example, the two-point _conversion_ in American football), and Merriam-Webster even notes and sanctions this intransitive sense of the verb. My question is, where did this originate?  OK, the verb is used intransitively, but what, exactly, is it that’s being converted, and into what?  Merely a lower score into a higher score?  If so, then is it a conversion whenever someone scores?  The usage seems more specialized than that. Just wondering. Ken Maybe should ask William Safire

Response:

- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – This question probably could be posted to any number of groups, but it’s on my mind after today’s playoff. An announcer observed that Brooks (I think it was Brooks–I was in the other room) could have done worse on one of those par fives than to _convert_ with an eagle.  This is a common usage in sports (for example, the two-point _conversion_ in American football), and Merriam-Webster even notes and sanctions this intransitive sense of the verb. My question is, where did this originate?  OK, the verb is used intransitively, but what, exactly, is it that’s being converted, and into what?  Merely a lower score into a higher score?  If so, then is it a conversion whenever someone scores?  The usage seems more specialized than that. Just wondering. Ken Maybe should ask William Safire

Good question. Here’s my stab. Let’s agree that the verb "convert" originally had the meaning of "to turn into," "to change into" or "to transform" (e.g., to <convert lead into gold).  (Cf. the idea of  religious "conversion" or of a "convertible" automobile.) The football usage– as in extra point "conversion" — still seems to carry a trace of this meaning, since, after scoring a touchdown, a team has the opportunity to "convert" an extra possession into additional points. Apparently this football usage has been extended — via metaphor — to other situations in which a team or athlete has the opportunity to produce extra points (cf. to <convert a 1-and-1 free throw). As used in golf, "to convert" (that is, to complete an up-and-down or sand save, etc.) seems to represent a further extension of this general sports usage. It basically refers to making a relatively short or simple putt following an especially difficult or well-executed previous shot. Hence the golf meaning of "to convert" is something like "to hole out in order to realize a stroke-saving scoring opportunity" or "to hole out following a difficult bunker shot or approach"; in short, "to realize a payoff," "to capitalize." Similarly, to fail to convert is to blow a scoring opportunity, especially one that has been set up by a particularly good shot. HTH. — "Hey! Why don’tcha look where I’m going?" — Moe, to Shemp. — Home Page: http://www.depaul.edu/~dsimpson

Response:

This post has more do do with usage than scoring….. While there is a connection between conversion in golf and football, one uses a verb, the other a noun.  The pronunciation is different: verb con-VERT and the noun CON-vert.  It’s the same with conviction.  If a person is con-VICT-ed, he becomes a CON-vict.  I have to pro-JECT my voice to be heard over the noise of the PRO-ject.  (Actually, in that last example, the correct noun pronunciation is PRAW-ject, but you get the idea.) — Doug Main

Response:

You are "converting" 6 points into 7 when you kick the extra point, hence the "conversion," though I rarely hear it called that. I’m still not clear on the usage you’re referring to in golf for the term "conversions." There is an official stat known as "birdie conversion percentage," which, if I’m not mistaken, is the percentage of birdies made on holes where you hit the green in regulation.  In that case, you’re converting a "green in reg," which, under the terms of golf would imply that an "expert" player should make a par, into a "birdie." But other than that, I’m not sure what he’s talking about.  I hardly think linguistics, as applied by jocks (players "converted" into announcers), is necessarily worth exploring or explaining. Randy RSG-ATLANTA Information:  http://www.YouGoGolf.com/rsg-atlanta.htm Rookie Member, Starve the Trolls Society My RSG Roll Call profile:  http://u1.netgate.net/~kirby34/rsg/brownr.htm RSG FAQ:  http://ttsoft.com/thor/rsggolf.html Voiceovers/Narration/Voice Acting:  www.RandyBrownProductions.com To e-mail me, go to my website at www.YouGoGolf.com and find the link.

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – This question probably could be posted to any number of groups, but it’s on my mind after today’s playoff. An announcer observed that Brooks (I think it was Brooks–I was in the other room) could have done worse on one of those par fives than to _convert_ with an eagle.  This is a common usage in sports (for example, the two-point _conversion_ in American football), and Merriam-Webster even notes and sanctions this intransitive sense of the verb. My question is, where did this originate?  OK, the verb is used intransitively, but what, exactly, is it that’s being converted, and into what?  Merely a lower score into a higher score?  If so, then is it a conversion whenever someone scores?  The usage seems more specialized than that. Just wondering. Ken Maybe should ask William Safire Good question. Here’s my stab. Let’s agree that the verb "convert" originally had the meaning of "to turn into," "to change into" or "to transform" (e.g., to <convert lead into gold).  (Cf. the idea of religious "conversion" or of a "convertible" automobile.) The football usage– as in extra point "conversion" — still seems to carry a trace of this meaning, since, after scoring a touchdown, a team has the opportunity to "convert" an extra possession into additional points. Apparently this football usage has been extended — via metaphor — to other situations in which a team or athlete has the opportunity to produce extra points (cf. to <convert a 1-and-1 free throw). As used in golf, "to convert" (that is, to complete an up-and-down or sand save, etc.) seems to represent a further extension of this general sports usage. It basically refers to making a relatively short or simple putt following an especially difficult or well-executed previous shot. Hence the golf meaning of "to convert" is something like "to hole out in order to realize a stroke-saving scoring opportunity" or "to hole out following a difficult bunker shot or approach"; in short, "to realize a payoff," "to capitalize." Similarly, to fail to convert is to blow a scoring opportunity, especially one that has been set up by a particularly good shot. HTH. — "Hey! Why don’tcha look where I’m going?" — Moe, to Shemp. — Home Page: http://www.depaul.edu/~dsimpson

Response:

An announcer observed that Brooks (I think it was Brooks–I was in the other room) could have done worse on one of those par fives than to _convert_ with an eagle.  This is a common usage in sports (for example, the two-point _conversion_ in American football), and Merriam-Webster even notes and sanctions this intransitive sense of the verb. My question is, where did this originate?  

the usage lies in the roots of the word first found in the 1400s The source of the word can be traced to: Middle English (AND the Middle French) word convertir AND from the Latin convertere: to *transform to greater WORTH* JB

Response:

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – An announcer observed that Brooks (I think it was Brooks–I was in the other room) could have done worse on one of those par fives than to _convert_ with an eagle.  This is a common usage in sports (for example, the two-point _conversion_ in American football), and Merriam-Webster even notes and sanctions this intransitive sense of the verb. My question is, where did this originate? the usage lies in the roots of the word first found in the 1400s The source of the word can be traced to: Middle English (AND the Middle French) word convertir AND from the Latin convertere: to *transform to greater WORTH* JB

Also from 12th C Scots, kinver’. As in " Aah jist chipped it in wi’ ma niblick an’ kinver’ed it intae a burdie" (Those who have been to Scotland, particularly Fife, should be able to identify) — David RSG Roll Call http://u1.netgate.net/~kirby34/rsg/sneddond.htm

Response:

Let’s see:  Casius Clay and Lou Alcindor "converted" to Islam and became Muhammed Ali and Kareem Abdul Jabbar.  Two of the best examples of the term convert in sports, wouldn’t you agree?

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – You are "converting" 6 points into 7 when you kick the extra point, hence the "conversion," though I rarely hear it called that. I’m still not clear on the usage you’re referring to in golf for the term "conversions." There is an official stat known as "birdie conversion percentage," which, if I’m not mistaken, is the percentage of birdies made on holes where you hit the green in regulation.  In that case, you’re converting a "green in reg," which, under the terms of golf would imply that an "expert" player should make a par, into a "birdie." But other than that, I’m not sure what he’s talking about.  I hardly think linguistics, as applied by jocks (players "converted" into announcers), is necessarily worth exploring or explaining. Randy RSG-ATLANTA Information:  http://www.YouGoGolf.com/rsg-atlanta.htm Rookie Member, Starve the Trolls Society My RSG Roll Call profile:  http://u1.netgate.net/~kirby34/rsg/brownr.htm RSG FAQ:  http://ttsoft.com/thor/rsggolf.html Voiceovers/Narration/Voice Acting:  www.RandyBrownProductions.com To e-mail me, go to my website at www.YouGoGolf.com and find the link. This question probably could be posted to any number of groups, but it’s on my mind after today’s playoff. An announcer observed that Brooks (I think it was Brooks–I was in the other room) could have done worse on one of those par fives than to _convert_ with an eagle.  This is a common usage in sports (for example, the two-point _conversion_ in American football), and Merriam-Webster even notes and sanctions this intransitive sense of the verb. My question is, where did this originate?  OK, the verb is used intransitively, but what, exactly, is it that’s being converted, and into what?  Merely a lower score into a higher score?  If so, then is it a conversion whenever someone scores?  The usage seems more specialized than that. Just wondering. Ken Maybe should ask William Safire Good question. Here’s my stab. Let’s agree that the verb "convert" originally had the meaning of "to turn into," "to change into" or "to transform" (e.g., to <convert lead into gold).  (Cf. the idea of religious "conversion" or of a "convertible" automobile.) The football usage– as in extra point "conversion" — still seems to carry a trace of this meaning, since, after scoring a touchdown, a team has the opportunity to "convert" an extra possession into additional points. Apparently this football usage has been extended — via metaphor — to other situations in which a team or athlete has the opportunity to produce extra points (cf. to <convert a 1-and-1 free throw). As used in golf, "to convert" (that is, to complete an up-and-down or sand save, etc.) seems to represent a further extension of this general sports usage. It basically refers to making a relatively short or simple putt following an especially difficult or well-executed previous shot. Hence the golf meaning of "to convert" is something like "to hole out in order to realize a stroke-saving scoring opportunity" or "to hole out following a difficult bunker shot or approach"; in short, "to realize a payoff," "to capitalize." Similarly, to fail to convert is to blow a scoring opportunity, especially one that has been set up by a particularly good shot. HTH. — "Hey! Why don’tcha look where I’m going?" — Moe, to Shemp. — Home Page: http://www.depaul.edu/~dsimpson

Response:

Related Posts

Leave a Reply