curveball
noun, idiom

- something unexpected and difficult to deal with that changes a situation

- to surprise someone with something that is difficult or unpleasant to deal with

- in baseball, a delivery in which the pitcher causes the ball to deviate from a straight path by imparting spin

Cambridge Dictionary, Collins Dictionary, Merriam-Webster

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WORD ORIGIN

The term “curveball” originates from baseball and refers to a type of pitch where spin is applied to make the ball curve as it approaches the batter. The word is a compound of “curve” and “ball,” first documented in 1875 in the Providence (Rhode Island) Evening Press.

The invention of the curveball is widely credited to Candy Cummings, a pitcher from the 1860s and 1870s, though others, like Fred Goldsmith, also claimed involvement. By extension, “curveball” has come to mean an unexpected or surprising event, especially in American English

The modern configurative meaning of “curveball” extends beyond its baseball origins to signify something unexpected, surprising, or difficult to handle. It is often used metaphorically in American and Australian English to describe unforeseen challenges or events that disrupt plans or expectations, akin to the deceptive movement of the pitch in baseball. For example, phrases like “life threw me a curveball” highlight its use to describe life’s unpredictable twists.

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BASEBALL TERMS

Curveball is one of the many idioms that derive from America's national sports pastime, baseball. Like cricket, each play in baseball begins when the pitcher throws the ball towards the batter who attempts to hit it with his bat. Pitchers throw different types of pitches, such as the fastball, which as its name implies is very fast but also usually on a straight line.

The curveball on the other hand is thrown so that the ball moves either to the left or right (curves). The idea is to try to confuse the batter and make it difficult for him to hit the ball properly. And this concept of confusing or unexpected is where the figurative sense of curveball derives from.

Some additional examples:

- cover all bases = to ensure safety. In baseball, a defensive player covers a base by standing close to it, ensuring a runner cannot reach it safely. In business, covering one's bases means being prepared for every contingency. (We need to cover all the bases before the board meeting)

- step up to the plate = to take responsibility for getting something done. Refers to when a player must approach home plate to take a turn at batting. (Linda really stepped up to the plate by getting approval for the new marketing strategy)

- strike = failure, loss. In baseball, a strike is when the batter swings at and misses a pitch. A batter with three strikes is out and must stop batting. The word strike has crept into common English usage to mean a failure or a shortcoming or a loss. (You already have two strikes against you, so be prepared when you meet the boss)

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SYNONYMS

blindside, bombshell, boomerang, bump in the road, confounder, CURVEBALL, deception, disorienter, disruption, dodge, drawback, flummoxer, game changer, hiccup, hitch, jolt, left-field surprise, lightning bolt, out-of-the-blue event, ploy, pothole, roadblock, ruse, shocker, sidewinder, speed bump, spin move, spanner in the works, spoiler, stumper, thunderbolt, trick play, unexpected hitch, unforeseen hurdle, upheaval, upset, wallop, whammy, wild card, zinge

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SMUGGLE OWAD into an English conversation today, say something like:

“About dealing with CURVEBALLS, Charles Swindoll famously said, ‘Life is 10% what happens to you and 90% how you react to it.’ ”

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