Why do they call it English?

[Neil]

Because if they called it Canadian, the balls would always be frozen together.

Because if they called it Mexican, the cue ball would constantly be jumping over the rails.

Because if they called it French, you could only get draw on every shot.

Because if they called it Irish, the cue ball would act like one of those crazy 8 balls that won't roll in a straight line.

 

[pt109]

I'll be amazed if this doesn't lead to a race/ethenticity flame war.

Yeah, we'll you started it....have you ever used czech english?

 

[david(tx)]

It isn't just pool(billiards) you know - any ball with sidespin, golf, tennis, ping pong -
is described as having "English" applied to it.

As to why - I always assumed it was because the Brits were the first to put chalk
onto the leather tips that clever Frenchman 'invented', thereby increasing the amount
of sidespin produced and improving the control possible.

Dale(woh knows it is Table Tennis, but thinks ping pong sounds so cute)

Tennis - top spin , slice

Golf - fade , draw

 

[poQet trainer]

Because it was too hard to say "use high/left Czechcoslovakian"

lol, that funny right there:thumbup:

 

[asiasdad]

Here's a dumb question. Why is hitting the ball away from the center called putting "English" on the ball?

Billiard equipment improved rapidly in England after 1800, largely because of the Industrial Revolution. Chalk was used to increase friction between the ball and the cue stick even before cues had tips. The leather cue tip, with which a player can apply side-spin to the ball, was perfected by 1823. Visitors from England showed Americans how use spin, which explains why it is called "English" in the United States but nowhere else. (The British themselves refer to it as "side".) The two-piece cue arrived in 1829. Slate became popular as a material for table beds around 1835. Goodyear discovered vulcanization of rubber in 1839 and by 1845 it was used to make billiard cushions. A two-to-one ratio of length to width became standard in the 18th century. Before then, there were no fixed table dimensions. By 1850, the billiard table had essentially evolved into its current form.


I stole that from here:

http://www.thebilliardshop.com/history-of-pool-and-billiards

Why do they call it a "French kiss"? Probably has something to do with France.

Actually English should be called French as it was a French guy sitting in a prison in
the early 1800's that put the first leather tip on a stick to allow the spin to happen

Yeah ... or Greek style ... :thud::killingme::speechless::winknudge:

The reason the grip end of the cue is called a butt is due to the fact
that part of the cue goes up there when you get caught firing air barrels

 

[Hidy Ho]

Golf - fade , draw

My golf balls hook or slice ... definitely #@% :angry:

 

[pdcue]

Tennis - top spin , slice

Golf - fade , draw

SIDE spin

Dale

 

[Scott Lee]

asiasdad...and they stole it from The Billiard Encyclopedia! LOL

Scott Lee
http://poolknowledge.com

Billiard equipment improved rapidly in England after 1800, largely because of the Industrial Revolution. Chalk was used to increase friction between the ball and the cue stick even before cues had tips. The leather cue tip, with which a player can apply side-spin to the ball, was perfected by 1823. Visitors from England showed Americans how use spin, which explains why it is called "English" in the United States but nowhere else. (The British themselves refer to it as "side".) The two-piece cue arrived in 1829. Slate became popular as a material for table beds around 1835. Goodyear discovered vulcanization of rubber in 1839 and by 1845 it was used to make billiard cushions. A two-to-one ratio of length to width became standard in the 18th century. Before then, there were no fixed table dimensions. By 1850, the billiard table had essentially evolved into its current form.


I stole that from here:

http://www.thebilliardshop.com/history-of-pool-and-billiards




Actually English should be called French as it was a French guy sitting in a prison in
the early 1800's that put the first leather tip on a stick to allow the spin to happen



The reason the grip end of the cue is called a butt is due to the fact
that part of the cue goes up there when you get caught firing air barrels

 

[asiasdad]

asiasdad...and they stole it from The Billiard Encyclopedia! LOL

Scott Lee
http://poolknowledge.com

They did indeed, at least the first two parts...

 

[Blue Hog ridr]

I'll be amazed if this doesn't lead to a race/ethenticity flame war.

Yes, they call it, "Ingrish".

Oh oh, now I went and did it, didn't I.

 

[rhgibson]

"Spanglish"

my pool buddy tells me I use "Spanglish" :grin-square:

 

[ctyhntr]

According to this article Captain Minguard is the frenchman who came up with the idea of the leather tip. Jack Carr popularized twisting chalk so anyone can apply side spin.

http://www.titansports.co.uk/shop/history-chalk.html

It isn't just pool(billiards) you know - any ball with sidespin, golf, tennis, ping pong -
is described as having "English" applied to it.

As to why - I always assumed it was because the Brits were the first to put chalk
onto the leather tips that clever Frenchman 'invented', thereby increasing the amount
of sidespin produced and improving the control possible.

Dale(who knows it is Table Tennis, but thinks ping pong sounds so cute)

 

[Cornerman]

It looks like nobody really knows.

We already told you.

 

[pt109]

Many players use english like they have Tourette's.
....I didn't mean to do THAT!!

 

[pdcue]

According to this article Captain Minguard is the frenchman who came up with the idea of the leather tip. Jack Carr popularized twisting chalk so anyone can apply side spin.

http://www.titansports.co.uk/shop/history-chalk.html

Cleverly referred to as "that clever Frenchman".

And, there is yet another "clever" vague reference in that post.

Dale(too clever by half)