Dictionary Corner: Common terminology used to describe pros and their games

Bender

Bender

G.O.A.T.
This thread is a glossary of commonly-used terminology by resident posters, for new joiners who may not understand what they mean.
  1. Aggressive: A player who hits a lot of unforced errors
  2. All-round game: A player you like with no weapons
  3. A$shole: A player you dislike who is confrontational
  4. Ballboy: A modern day slave (@Fedforever)
  5. Berrettini Open: (a) when a major event becomes unimportant because the winner is a player that you dislike, and your favourite player lost to a journeyman; (b) the 2019 United States Open (@blablavla)
  6. BOAT: (a) Pity award given by someone with nothing to a player with an ATG resume; (b) misspelling of "Borat", a fictional person from the east of civilisation whose character is defined by pushing antiquated views of science and medicine, and trying and failing to attain wide adulation by virtue of being himself
  7. Brain-dead: A player who fails to execute an inappropriate high-risk shot; see also: genius (antonym)
  8. Cakewalk: a draw full of weak players that your favourite players managed to lose to
  9. Career Inflation Era: When an old guy you dislike wins a lot; rounded to the nearest decade (@Red Rick)
  10. Charity: A tournament that does not award ATP points featuring a player you like who may be compensating for or inflaming tax avoidance schemes
  11. Cheating: Actions that are clearly infractions of the tennis rules and regulations provided they are interpreted carte blanche and incorrectly to players you dislike (@Fedforever)
  12. Choke: (a) when a player you like loses from a neutral or winning situation; (b) (rare) when a player you like loses from a losing position
  13. Civilisation: The continent that you are from
  14. Classy: Behaviour of a player you like
  15. Clay: The surface of the tournament in which a player you like lost
  16. Cringey: Behaviour exhibited by a player you dislike
  17. Defensive: A player who will not allow opponents to hit free winners; see: pusher
  18. Doper: A player you dislike who is fitter than your favourite player(s) (@The Blond Blur)
  19. Elo: Numbers you push if a player you like has not won as much as you had hoped in order to make a tournament or season more impressive (@TheGhostOfAgassi)
  20. Epic: Everything @MichaelNadal likes in life (@Red Rick)
  21. Excuse: Injury suffered by a player that you dislike; see: injury
  22. Exho: A tournament a player you like has never won; not to be confused with: exhibition; see: money grab
  23. Eye Test: An objective way of praising an opponent a player you like has beaten handily (sometimes on a regular basis) to give the win extra value; (b) An objective way of criticising opponents of players you dislike in order to diminish the player's wins (@Doctor/Lawyer Red Devil)
  24. Fact: (a) Fake information you like; (b) your opinions
  25. Fake: (a) Facts you dislike; (b) other people's opinions if they contradict your own
  26. Fighting spirit: When a player sweats too much during matches (@StANDAA)
  27. Fluke: When Dominic Thiem wins a point (@Yugram)
  28. Genius: A player who successfully executes an inappropriate high-risk shot. See also: brain-dead (antonym)
  29. Gentleman: Roger Federer after Nike's PR team spent millions on his image to move their products (@skaj and @ForehandCross)
  30. Geometric mean: See: Fact, Opinion, statistic (@Third Serve and @blablavla)
  31. GOAT: The player you like most
  32. Hater: A poster who disagrees that your favourite player is the GOAT (@Third Serve)
  33. Hawkeye: An infallible machine unless it contradicts Roger Federer (@Fedforever)
  34. Homogenisation: When a current player you dislike achieves more than a former player you did like (@Red Rick)
  35. Hypothetical: (a) A theoretical match, tournament, or season in which Federer wins (@Oceans); (b) A scenario where your favourite player can be called GOAT by giving him characteristics or timelines that are inconsistent with reality; see: unbeatable (@Fabresque)
  36. Injury: The reason why a player you like lost
  37. Lol: When you dislike an argument or comment regarding your favourite player but can neither dispute it (due to its legitimacy or accuracy), nor accept it due to closed-mindedness (@skaj)
  38. Medical Time Out: Serious injury concern if taken by a player you like; otherwise, see: cheating (@Fedforever)
  39. Mental weakness: A player who spends more time and effort fixing his hair than sweating and winning
  40. Money grab: A tournament that does not award ATP points, featuring a player you dislike
  41. Moral victory: A participation title bestowed to a player you like for losing, especially if an injury is involved
  42. Mug: A pejorative for a lower-ranked player who fails to beat a higher-ranked player he had no chance of beating in the first place (@ForehandCross)
  43. Neo Backhand: A Federer backhand that goes in
  44. NextGen: Young players who keep losing to a player you dislike (@Red Rick)
  45. Old: (a) ages 27 and above for Roger Federer; (b) ages 33 and above for everyone else
  46. Old school style: A player you like with a 1HBH regardless of playing style
  47. Overrated: A player you dislike who has shown either great potential (see: talent) or has won some major titles, sometimes beating all time greats along the way (@skaj)
  48. Peak: The level of a player when he loses to a player you like (@King No1e)
  49. Performance Enhancing Drugs: Illegal drugs used by everyone except the players you like (@Fedforever)
  50. Pigeon: Any player who has lost more than one big match to a player you like more (@King No1e)
  51. Popularity: A measure of GOAThood when your preferred candidate does not possess achievements that can objectively rival that of the front-runner (@TheGhostOfAgassi)
  52. Pusher: (a) A player you dislike whose wins make you angry; (b) any player on the other side of the net when your favourite player hits an unforced error; see also: defensive
  53. Real Slam: (a) The Western & Southern Open (@megamind); (b) The Swiss Indoors; (c) Barcelona Open Banco Sabadell
  54. Robot: A player you dislike who has hit more than two groundstrokes in a row at some point in his career
  55. Roof: A contraption that causes knee pain or injury; see: injury, cheating, excuse (@Breakpointerer and @zagor)
  56. Savior of tennis: Someone who defeats or is capable of defeating a player you dislike (@ForehandCross)
  57. Seat: The things you are required to take several of when you disagree with @MichaelNadal
  58. Serena Williams: How to be publicly racist without getting banned
  59. Servebot: When a player you dislike has a better serve than the player you like (@Red Rick)
  60. Servefest: A match in which the average rally length is under 20 shots (@zagor)
  61. Slow surface: see: clay (@daggerman)
  62. Snoozefest: Matches featuring two players you dislike (@King_ Zeglan12)
  63. Spiritual: When a player believes in ridiculous superstitions (@skaj)
  64. Statistic: Numbers you like
  65. Statistical anomaly: Numbers you dislike that you left out
  66. Straight-talker: A player you like that acts like an a$shole
  67. Strong era: The timeframe in which a player you like lost more than he should have
  68. Talent: (a) a player who you like with a poor Win-Loss record; (b) a player who hits tweeners or other trickshots (@Breakpointerer); (c) see: old school style; see also: wasted talent
  69. Tank: When a player you like plays poorly, loses, or both, but choke, injury, or other explanation is inapplicable (@Mr.Lob)
  70. Towel: An instrument of torture designed for use on Federer fans (@Fedforever)
  71. Umpire: A referee who calls the score and overrules calls. Usually correct, unless he overrules against your favourite player (@Fabresque)
  72. Unbeatable: (a) healthy Rafael Nadal; (b) hypothetical peak non-choking Roger Federer; (c) motivated, vaccinated, and non-coeliac Novak Djokovic; (d) aggressive Andy Murray (@zagor, @StANDAA, and @Red Rick)
  73. Variety: (a) a player who can only win on fast surfaces; (b) a player who only serves and volleys
  74. Vulturing: Achievements of a player you dislike, usually explained by injury of your favourite players, or by the same weak competition that eliminated players you like (@blablavla)
  75. Wasted talent: A player with a one-handed backhand who has not won any major title (@eman11 and @TheGhostOfAgassi)
  76. Weak era: The timeframe in which a player you dislike won a large number of titles
  77. Whiner: When a player you dislike complains about anything, even if legitimate
  78. 27 years old: An age in which a player is young (see: NextGen), old, or at his peak (@StANDAA)
 
Last edited:
Standaa

Standaa

G.O.A.T.
first I got excited because I thought it’s another one of Bender’s informative, deeply researched threads, like the ones about Big 3 racquets or ATP forehands, where he will define all the playing styles.

turns out it’s even better.

one of Eminem’s hobbies is reading a dictionary and now I see why, it’s fun.

I’d add:

Fighting spirit: When a player sweats too much during matches.
 
Bender

Bender

G.O.A.T.
StANDAA said:
first I got excited because I thought it’s another one of Bender’s informative, deeply researched threads, like the ones about Big 3 racquets or ATP forehands, where he will define all the playing styles.

turns out it’s even better.

one of Eminem’s hobbies is reading a dictionary and now I see why, it’s fun.

I’d add:

Fighting spirit: When a player sweats too much during matches.
Click to expand...
Thanks, I have added your definition to the OP, as well as the appropriate antonym:
Bender said:
  1. Fighting spirit: When a player sweats too much during matches. (@StANDAA)
  2. Mental weakness: A player who spends more time and effort fixing his hair than sweating and winning
Click to expand...
 
ForehandCross

ForehandCross

G.O.A.T.
MUG :
An untalented, useless choker tennis player.


Exhibit:


s-l400.jpg
 
King No1e

King No1e

G.O.A.T.
Bender said:
This is a thread that is meant for new joiners to TTW who may not necessarily understand all the terminology used by resident posters. Here, I will list all the most commonly-used words and explain what they truly mean.
  1. Aggressive: A player who hits a lot of unforced errors
  2. All-round game: A player you like with no weapons
  3. A$shole: A player you don't like who is confrontational
  4. BOAT: (a) Pity award given by someone with nothing to a player with an ATG resume; (b) Misspelling of "Borat", a fictional person from the east of civilisation whose character is defined by pushing antiquated views of science and medicine, and trying and failing to attain wide adulation by virtue of being himself; see: civilisation
  5. Brain-dead: A player who fails to execute an inappropriate high-risk shot
  6. Civilisation: The continent that you are from
  7. Charity: A tournament that does not award ATP points featuring a player you like to compensate for or inflame tax avoidance schemes
  8. Choke: (a) when a player you like loses from a neutral or winning situation; (b) (rare) when a player you like loses from a losing position
  9. Clay: The surface of the tournament in which a player you like lost
  10. Defensive: A player who will not allow the opponent to hit free winners; see: pusher
  11. Excuse: Injury suffered by a player that you do not like; see: injury
  12. Exho: A tournament a player you like has never won; not to be confused with "exhibition"; see: money grab
  13. Fact: Fake information that you like
  14. Fake: Facts that you do not like
  15. Fighting spirit: When a player sweats too much during matches. (@StANDAA)
  16. Genius: A player who manages to successfully execute an inappropriate high-risk shot
  17. GOAT: The player you like most
  18. Injury: The reason why a player you like lost
  19. Mental weakness: A player who spends more time and effort fixing his hair than sweating and winning
  20. Money grab: A tournament featuring a player you do not like that does not award ATP points
  21. Moral victory: A title bestowed to a player you like for losing, especially if an injury is involved
  22. Old: (a) ages 27 and above for Roger Federer; (b) ages 33 and above for everyone else
  23. Old school style: A player you like with a 1HBH regardless of playing style
  24. Pusher: (a) A player you do not like whose wins make you angry; (b) any player on the other side of the net when your favourite player hits an unforced error; see also: defensive
  25. Robot: Some guy you don't like who hit more than two groundstrokes in a row at some point in his career
  26. Statistic: A bunch of numbers you like that you crunched
  27. Statistical Anomaly: A bunch of numbers you do not like that you have left out
  28. Straight-talker: A player you like that acts like an a$shole
  29. Strong era: The timeframe in which a player you like lost more than he should have
  30. Talent: (a) a player with a poor W:L record that you like; (b) a player who likes to hit tweeners; (c) see: old school style
  31. Variety: (a) a player who can only play on fast surfaces; (b) a player who only plays serve and volley
  32. Weak era: The timeframe in which a player you do not like won a large number of titles
  33. Whiner: A player you don't like who complains about anything regardless of the legitimacy of the complaint
If you spot any missing terms, please let me know and I will add them
Click to expand...
This post deserves 100 likes at a minimum. Bravo
 
Bender

Bender

G.O.A.T.
Okay, I've added some more words since this post, so some of the numbers are going to be way off. I'm too lazy to fix it now, but they're in alphabetical order...can't be that difficult, can it?
Oceans said:
Hypothetical: A theoretical match, tournament or season in which Federer wins.
Click to expand...
Done, see #22

Mr.Lob said:
Tank: The act of quitting during a match. See Tomic, Monfils and Mugs.
Click to expand...
I've added your suggestion, but changed the definition a bit (hope you don't mind); see #45

ForehandCross said:
Saviour of tennis/Good for tennis:

Someone who beats or is capable of beating your most hated player.
Click to expand...
Done, see #37

Breakpointerer said:
Talent: The ability to pull off flashy trick shots
Click to expand...
This was actually already covered in the OP, albeit with a slightly different definition, which I have since amended with some of your wording; see #44(b)

Red Rick said:
Court homogenization: When current players you dislike achieve more than past players you did like.
Click to expand...
Done, see #21

Red Rick said:
Nextgen: Young players of which you wonder when they'll disappoint you next, especially if they lose to a player you dislike.
Click to expand...
Done, see #30

Red Rick said:
Cold Death Of Tennis: See Isner.
Click to expand...
I actually added something similar instead of adding this as is; see #38

Red Rick said:
Cringy: Any behavior exhibited by a player you dislike
Admirable: Any behavior displayed by player you like
Click to expand...
Done, but I changed "Admirable" to "Classy"; see #11 and #12

Fedforever said:
MTO : Legitimate (if the player you like takes one) Cheating (if the player you don't like takes one)
Click to expand...
Done; see #25

skaj said:
19. lol: When you don't like a comment regarding your favorite player, but have zero arguments against it.
26. overated: A player you don't like, who has shown great abilities and/or won a few big titles beating all time greats.
Click to expand...
Done, see #24 and #33

Fedforever said:
PEDS: Used by all players except the ones you like.
Click to expand...
Done, see #34

StANDAA said:
Age 27: Indication that a player could be either old, or NextGen.
Click to expand...
Done, with some minor changes; see #49
 
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eman11

eman11

Semi-Pro
If you spot any missing terms, please let me know and I will add them
[/QUOTE]

Wasted Talent perhaps?
- A player who came up the rankings that was talked about or seemed to be the next big thing but turned out to be no more than a one-hit wonder i.e. made semis or final at a major event, won one or two Masters 1000, etc.
 
TheGhostOfAgassi

TheGhostOfAgassi

Talk Tennis Guru
eman11 said:
If you spot any missing terms, please let me know and I will add them
Click to expand...

Wasted Talent perhaps?
- A player who came up the rankings that was talked about or seemed to be the next big thing but turned out to be no more than a one-hit wonder i.e. made semis or final at a major event, won one or two Masters 1000, etc.
[/QUOTE]
Normally in here a wasted talent is a player w a 1HBH that didn’t win anything big.
 
eman11

eman11

Semi-Pro
TheGhostOfAgassi said:
Wasted Talent perhaps?
- A player who came up the rankings that was talked about or seemed to be the next big thing but turned out to be no more than a one-hit wonder i.e. made semis or final at a major event, won one or two Masters 1000, etc.
Click to expand...
Normally in here a wasted talent is a player w a 1HBH that didn’t win anything big.
[/QUOTE]

Who usually comes to mind is Verdasco.... man, I really loved that guy between 2009 and around 2014...
 
TheGhostOfAgassi

TheGhostOfAgassi

Talk Tennis Guru
eman11 said:
Normally in here a wasted talent is a player w a 1HBH that didn’t win anything big.
Click to expand...

Who usually comes to mind is Verdasco.... man, I really loved that guy between 2009 and around 2014...
[/QUOTE]
In this forum that’s probably Dimitrov most posters are disappointed about and have been massively hyped and jinxed. Next in line I’m afraid will be Shapovalov.
 
eman11

eman11

Semi-Pro
TheGhostOfAgassi said:
Who usually comes to mind is Verdasco.... man, I really loved that guy between 2009 and around 2014...
Click to expand...
In this forum that’s probably Dimitrov most posters are disappointed about and have been massively hyped and jinxed. Next in line I’m afraid will be Shapovalov.
[/QUOTE]


Yea, Dimitrov is in that group so far... I'm sure he's still got another 3 good years and few other descent years... maybe the Big 3 will retire and he'll become encouraged to do something. He is a tad bit younger than they are.
 
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