docmandu
Star Player
Only found out the other day this phrase comes from the early days of football in the 1920's when a square grid was superimposed on the tv monitor to make it easier for radio commentators to describe play to listeners. The first radio commentary on a football match was broadcast by the BBC on 22nd January 1927. To help listeners visualise the pitch and where the players and ball were, the producer, Lance Sieveking, worked out a scheme of dividing the pitch into eight numbered squares and had a diagram published in the BBC’s listings guide, Radio Times. The commentator could then say the ball was currently in square five, or square three, or whatever. Square one was to one side of one of the goals.
Going back to “square one” was the ball going back to the goalkeeper.
Another possible but less interesting version is slipping down a ladder to square one on a snakes and ladders board.
Love the derivation of phrases and although know some medical and nautical ones didn’t know of many football ones.
A medical one for example “Blowing smoke up someone’s @rse” is a fascinating one.
It’s actually a resuscitation phrase. Nothing to do with flattering someone .... more to do with keeping their "ticker" going. Before the days of CPR a pipe was used to blow smoke up someone’s derrière so that the nicotine in the smoke could be absorbed through the colonic mucosa and cause an increase in heart rate via the nicotinic receptors in the myocardium.
It was often used for drownings many years ago and the Thames actually had pipes displayed along the banks for this purpose, much like modern day life vests / preserver.
God help you if you were a smoker but couldn’t find a pipe .... I would make the victim not for resuscitation in that instance and avoid the embarrassment.
Any other phrase derivations that I haven’t heard gratefully received and if you like this sort of stuff read Mark Forsyth's books .... they're fascinating.
Going back to “square one” was the ball going back to the goalkeeper.
Another possible but less interesting version is slipping down a ladder to square one on a snakes and ladders board.
Love the derivation of phrases and although know some medical and nautical ones didn’t know of many football ones.
A medical one for example “Blowing smoke up someone’s @rse” is a fascinating one.
It’s actually a resuscitation phrase. Nothing to do with flattering someone .... more to do with keeping their "ticker" going. Before the days of CPR a pipe was used to blow smoke up someone’s derrière so that the nicotine in the smoke could be absorbed through the colonic mucosa and cause an increase in heart rate via the nicotinic receptors in the myocardium.
It was often used for drownings many years ago and the Thames actually had pipes displayed along the banks for this purpose, much like modern day life vests / preserver.
God help you if you were a smoker but couldn’t find a pipe .... I would make the victim not for resuscitation in that instance and avoid the embarrassment.
Any other phrase derivations that I haven’t heard gratefully received and if you like this sort of stuff read Mark Forsyth's books .... they're fascinating.
Last edited:
