May 20, 2011
- grand slam (noun)
- \GRAND-SLAM\
- What does it mean?
- 1 : a total victory or success2 : a home run hit with three runners on base
- How do you use it?
- Australian Rod Laver, who won the tennis grand slam in 1962, became the first player to do it twice when he won it again in 1969.
- Are you a word wiz?
Around what year do you think the term "grand slam" first appeared in English?
The winning answer is B! When you hear "grand slam," you might think of tennis, baseball, or golf. However, the expression goes back a little over 200 years to the less athletic playing field of the card table. Around 1800, card players began using "grand slam" for the winning of all the tricks in one hand of a game such as bridge. "Grand slam" later showed up at the baseball diamond to describe a home run hit when the bases are loaded. A player who wins all of the designated major tournaments in golf or tennis within the space of one year also achieves a "grand slam."
