Favorite Sports Catch Phrases & Money
Growing up, I was (and still am) a sports fanatic, I loved watching sports on TV (and even listening to them on the Radio), because of the colourful characters that described and broadcast the sports. Today the Cult of Personality of today’s talking heads is astounding, but growing up there were fewer of these powerful voices, and thus easier for me to remember (and cherish).
What does this have to do with Money? For one thing, there aren’t that many fun money catch phrases, are there?
- Waste not want not
- A fool and his money are soon parted
- Money doesn’t grow on trees
- A penny saved is a penny earned
“… Turn out the Lights, the Party’s over…”
The Late Don Meredith used to sing this phrase on Monday Night Football, when it was obvious that one team was going to win (i.e. one team had an insurmountable lead). For my parents that was when they told me I had to go to bed, because I had school the next day, so I actually never liked that phrase, but in hindsight it is a wonderful expression.
I’d love to be able to sing that tune for my debts, tell those debts that they are through, no more sucking my money away you nasty debts, the lights are going out on you, and I have won!
“… Up, up and away!! A Home Run…”
Dave Van Horne borrowed this from the DC Comic Superman, and would say it when one of my beloved Expos would hit a home run, and it even sounded better on the radio. This powerful phrase made me so happy to hear it, because I knew something really good had just happened.
If I walked into my bank, and on the day I paid off my loan and then announced, Up, up and away!!! My Mortgage is now paid off!”, you think they might get out a set of handcuffs and cart me off? My guess is I would certainly get a lot of funny looks.
“… A cannonading drive by Cournoyer…”
Danny Gallivan the voice of the Montreal Canadiens loved to create these overly flowery descriptive terms for plays made by the Habs (e.g. the Savardian Spinnerama), and I didn’t really understand this term until I got older. The expression is describing how hard the puck is shot (by Yvan Cournoyer in this instance), but again it gives you the feel of the accomplishment in its description.
If I made a good financial plan and executed one particular part of it in a good way, could it be a Cannonading Personal Finance blow? Maybe not
“… Down goes Frazier!”
Howard Cossell was the original man you loved to hate in the world of sportscasters. His arrogant attitude, and over use of adjectives made him a much maligned broadcaster, but I enjoyed listening to him, and his call of the George Foreman vs. Joe Frazier match spawned this one expression that is synonymous with the end of something (it’s over).
Down goes the Visa Bill! I like the tone of that one, wish I could just throw one punch and make that debt go away.
“Holy Cow!”
Either Phil Rizzuto (Yankees announcer) or Harry Carey (Cubs Baseball announcer) brought this one forward, and it is an excellent inflection for an amazing event. You actually hear Phil Rizzuto say this phrase in the Meatloaf song Paradise by the Dashboard Light, so it is very much a cultural icon.
I tend to yell Holy Crap! more about a lot of my financial adventures, but yelling, Holy Cow we are out of Debt would be a phrase I would love to yell out loud one day. More likely than not I would yell Holy SH*T we are out of debt!
