Where did the term....
- Thread starter Joe T
- Start date
I once read that it was the British that introduced side-spin to pool.
According to the Illustrated Encyclopedia of Billiards (one of the top authoritative sources in the industry), the origin of the the term english to refer to sidespin is unknown. Apparently the most common theory is that during the 1800s Englishmen either visiting or or who had emigrated to America, may have introduced sidespin and their nation of origin was applied to the technique.
Who chose the ball colors, and why is the 8 black?
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I don't know who chose the colors, but here is an answer from Dr. Dave's website. 1,2,3 are primary colors, 4,5,6,7 are secondary based on the primary. 8 ball is the sum of all colors, or the opposite of white, the cueball.
http://billiards.colostate.edu/threads/balls.html
Jack Carr was supposedly good at putting spin on the ball, so when others ask for lessons. He said his secret was his famous twisting chalk (You think Kamui chalk is expensive), which he sold throughout europe. Thus, associating side-spin with english.
http://billiards.colostate.edu/threads/balls.html
Jack Carr was supposedly good at putting spin on the ball, so when others ask for lessons. He said his secret was his famous twisting chalk (You think Kamui chalk is expensive), which he sold throughout europe. Thus, associating side-spin with english.
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Many believe the origin of the word "English", as used to describe spining the cueball, originated in the United Kingdom. That information, however, is erroneous.
It actually comes from the last name of the Captain of the ship that brought the first pool table over from Europe. His name was John English.
During the trip over, Captain English and some of his mates, played several games of pool on the new table and as a result became quite proficient at pocketing balls.
As the table was being off-loaded at Boston Harbor, one of the longshoremen asked if anyone on board the ship knew how to play pool.
One of the crewmen remarked: "Our Captain English can spin them balls better'n just about anybody, that's for true." Since that time cueball spin has been called English.
I'm about ninety-five percent certain this story is correct.
It actually comes from the last name of the Captain of the ship that brought the first pool table over from Europe. His name was John English.
During the trip over, Captain English and some of his mates, played several games of pool on the new table and as a result became quite proficient at pocketing balls.
As the table was being off-loaded at Boston Harbor, one of the longshoremen asked if anyone on board the ship knew how to play pool.
One of the crewmen remarked: "Our Captain English can spin them balls better'n just about anybody, that's for true." Since that time cueball spin has been called English.
I'm about ninety-five percent certain this story is correct.
Many believe the origin of the word "English", as used to describe spining the cueball, originated in the United Kingdom. That information, however, is erroneous.
It actually comes from the last name of the Captain of the ship that brought the first pool table over from Europe. His name was John English.
During the trip over, Captain English and some of his mates, played several games of pool on the new table and as a result became quite proficient at pocketing balls.
As the table was being off-loaded at Boston Harbor, one of the longshoremen asked if anyone on board the ship knew how to play pool.
One of the crewmen remarked: "Our Captain English can spin them balls better'n just about anybody, that's for true." Since that time cueball spin has been called English.
I'm about ninety-five percent certain this story is correct.
If this story is not correct, it is still a great story.
Billiard 'english' is a pathetic fallacy!
A 'pathetic fallacy', as you probably know, is a literary device that ascribes
human characteristics to inanimate objects.
'English' is my favorite billiard term...when you 'load' a cue ball, it seems to
have a life of it's own, defying natural angles
Some scientists thought Willie Hoppe was breaking the second law of
thermodynamics because he could make a cue ball leave a rail quicker than
it struck it.It was their first encounter with (small 'e') english.
So I think it was some pool player from the distant past, with the heart of
a poet, who coined the word 'english'.
This is an example of 'folk etymology' but it satisfies me.
regards
pt..<...who has encountered cue balls with 'Tourette's'
A 'pathetic fallacy', as you probably know, is a literary device that ascribes
human characteristics to inanimate objects.
'English' is my favorite billiard term...when you 'load' a cue ball, it seems to
have a life of it's own, defying natural angles
Some scientists thought Willie Hoppe was breaking the second law of
thermodynamics because he could make a cue ball leave a rail quicker than
it struck it.It was their first encounter with (small 'e') english.
So I think it was some pool player from the distant past, with the heart of
a poet, who coined the word 'english'.
This is an example of 'folk etymology' but it satisfies me.
regards
pt..<...who has encountered cue balls with 'Tourette's'
Many believe the origin of the word "English", as used to describe spining the cueball, originated in the United Kingdom. That information, however, is erroneous.
It actually comes from the last name of the Captain of the ship that brought the first pool table over from Europe. His name was John English.
During the trip over, Captain English and some of his mates, played several games of pool on the new table and as a result became quite proficient at pocketing balls.
As the table was being off-loaded at Boston Harbor, one of the longshoremen asked if anyone on board the ship knew how to play pool.
One of the crewmen remarked: "Our Captain English can spin them balls better'n just about anybody, that's for true." Since that time cueball spin has been called English.
I'm about ninety-five percent certain this story is correct.
Horseradish!
I've seen pool players leave pool halls like that....
....and THAT'S not a pathetic fallacy...
I've seen pool players leave pool halls like that....
....and THAT'S not a pathetic fallacy...
Now see? You're ascribing inanimate characteristics to human objects. Like when a pool player imbibes a little too much. What do you call that? Alcoholic falldownacy?
-Sean
Tramp tells fibs
Apparently I will have to re-post this every 6-months or so in order for the answer to be general knowledge.
It's never that simple.Here's the TRUTH. The Swedish had a traditional dish of fermented fish called ," Ingglisch." It was eaten as a side dish to the entree.
For right- handed diners it was placed on the right side of the main plate
and for left- handed diners it was placed on the left side. Thus it became commonly referred to as right Ingglisch or left Ingglisch.
Swedish pool players picked this up and, as a joke at first, started calling their side spin either right Ingglisch or left Ingglisch. When Swedish pool players traveled to England for tournaments the English players heard this reference and, being as arrogant as they were, thought that the Swedes were saying ,"English."
Thereafter and to this day we now refer to sidespin as English. :
So you see, there can be no top Ingglisch or bottom Ingglisch.
I think the matter is now settled.
AS an aside , The Swedes were without doubt the worst players on the tour and always lost their money. Because of their love for and constant consumption of Ingglisch they always carried with them a heavy aroma of rotten fish. Thus they earned the moniker of, " Fish." So when ever
a Swede entered a pool room somebody would say here comes a "Fish."
Thus it became the universal term for a perennial loser at pool
I am 100 per cent certain that this is all true . Look it up..:yeah:
Apparently I will have to re-post this every 6-months or so in order for the answer to be general knowledge.
It's never that simple.Here's the TRUTH. The Swedish had a traditional dish of fermented fish called ," Ingglisch." It was eaten as a side dish to the entree.
For right- handed diners it was placed on the right side of the main plate
and for left- handed diners it was placed on the left side. Thus it became commonly referred to as right Ingglisch or left Ingglisch.
Swedish pool players picked this up and, as a joke at first, started calling their side spin either right Ingglisch or left Ingglisch. When Swedish pool players traveled to England for tournaments the English players heard this reference and, being as arrogant as they were, thought that the Swedes were saying ,"English."
Thereafter and to this day we now refer to sidespin as English. :
So you see, there can be no top Ingglisch or bottom Ingglisch.
I think the matter is now settled.
AS an aside , The Swedes were without doubt the worst players on the tour and always lost their money. Because of their love for and constant consumption of Ingglisch they always carried with them a heavy aroma of rotten fish. Thus they earned the moniker of, " Fish." So when ever
a Swede entered a pool room somebody would say here comes a "Fish."
Thus it became the universal term for a perennial loser at pool
I am 100 per cent certain that this is all true . Look it up..:yeah:
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Yeah right. That reminds me of the story of why a certain manufacturing company was always dumbfounded that packages of precision optical parts they shipped over to customers in Italy always arrived opened. The contents were never damaged, but because they (the company) guaranteed the accuracy of their optical parts and an opened box meant that the accuracy of the parts could no longer be guaranteed, it was company policy to have the customer ship the package back (at the company's cost), and the company would ship a new shipment. Shipment after shipment was sent, and sent back, because it would arrive at the customer site opened.
Finally, it was determined that a common word marked on the packages to denote the sensitivity of the contents, the word "Fragile" -- pronounced in Italian as "Fra-gee-lee" -- meant "pastry." The delivery people were obviously mistakenly trying to help themselves to some "free" sugary delights. So the company simply shipped the contents in boxes NOT marked fragile, and the shipments henceforth arrived intact, and unopened.
Yup, it's true. I'ze read it on the Internuts.
-Sean
wrong wrong wrong
How could you people not know this?
The reason it's called "english" is well known by those who are well read in the area of billiards history.
It turns out that in the 1920's a man named Johnny "English" Strickland was born. (Origin of his nickname is unknown.) Against all odds, he was born holding a nine-ball between his hands.
Johnny English's great great grandson went on to gain some measure of success in the world of billiards I'm told.
How could you people not know this?
The reason it's called "english" is well known by those who are well read in the area of billiards history.
It turns out that in the 1920's a man named Johnny "English" Strickland was born. (Origin of his nickname is unknown.) Against all odds, he was born holding a nine-ball between his hands.
Johnny English's great great grandson went on to gain some measure of success in the world of billiards I'm told.
Well I guess since im quite obviously not the only one to have heard "folklore" stories about this here is one version I have personally heard. To be honest I really don't entertain the thought of it being true but it's very very reasonable that it could be. In the version I heard it comes from playing billiards in which as many of you know is also called "a gentlemans game" and the term for it came from English gentleman who played billiards and as most of you should know, knowledge of english/spin is commanded in billiards. So the story came from "English gentleman" using so much spin on it that someone coined moving the cueball like that as "putting some english on it" and eventually was shortened to just using english. This story is of course only hearsay folklore but definitly has foundation for having merit in it. But in my opinion a question like this could only really be answered by the person who really first started it and we of course will never know because the term could be as old as cue games theirselves.
Pt, 12310, sfleinen, DoubleD, rementis, those are all excellent stories to be sure, but a horse that's blind in one eye, and can't see out of the other one, knows that the first liar doesn't stand a chance here. :wink: