Hi,
Do you know where the word "Ballpark" come from? It has nothing to do with "range" or "estimate":confused:
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Hi,
Do you know where the word "Ballpark" come from? It has nothing to do with "range" or "estimate":confused:
Hi nabylm! I don't know but it derived from a baseball stadium or "ballpark" meaning a "rough estimate". The best guess is that it originated from baseball announcers estimating the number of attendees at a game.
In addition to numerical estimates I always thought that it meant that an idea or guess about nearly anything was close to being correct because it is said that one is "in the ballpark" when considering an idea.
Here is a page with several references:
https://www.google.com/#q=where+does...gure+come+from
Is it used as a noun or can we use it as a verb too?
Hi vicente, who knew?! The influence of baseball in the american culture will always surprise me;)
The "statistical" argument is actually pretty logical. Thanks!
Hi Santiago! It is not common but yes, you could use ballpark as a verb.Quote:
Originally Posted by santiagop
EX: "Let's ballpark some figures" "Ballpark it for us" (give an estimate)
Very true:DQuote:
Originally Posted by nabylm
We have metaphors like "Get to first base" (to make progress is some endeavor; often used to measure a man's amorous success with a woman); "Rounding third" (to be close to success); "Hit it out of the park" or "Hit a homer or home run" (to achieve a huge success). We also use "strikes" as a measure of one's level of peril or liability, i.e., "strike one!" (a warning or first offense); "He has two strikes against him" ... etc.
Incidentally, the term ballpark only applies to baseball stadiums or "parks"; one rarely hears is used for other sports venues like football, soccer or basketball.
Ball park is also important for the term 'estimate' because what it signifies. Ball park is a term specific to baseball (history of stadiums ie multipurpose parks that were also built for American football use after WWII vs. ballparks ie specific to baseball built before WWII and again after 1992). Traditional ball parks = very unique measurement because baseball has no rules about actual dimension of the field. Fenway Park, Wrigley Field, Camden Yards, original Yankee Stadium all have unique dimensions and attributes.
It's also used to compare things, but one is much superior to the other. So, for instance, if you were comparing football teams and you mention, say, Chacarita and Boca Juniors, you could say the former "is not in the same ballpark." You use it to make hyperbolic statements in a way.