Originally published in 2014.
1. Spiritual Leader
Not always the best player on a team and normally not the captain either but he is the most inspirational member of the panel. The one teammates look to at low moments, someone who will speak up and help them 'drive on'. It has nothing to do with saying decades of the rosary.
2. Champions League style format
Let's face it, if the GAA Championships were being invented today and someone proposed the current format with some teams playing for four consecutive weeks and another going a month with a game, the majority of people would say, 'no, that sounds shit'. The cure for the Championships' scheduling ills is viewed by many as being a move to a 'Champions League style format'.
3. Dummy team
A menace to GAA match programme buyers countrywide is the innovation that is the dummy team. You’re behind tactically these days unless you’re changing your lineup just minutes before the throw-in.
4. Three wise men
Most often seen 'on the sideline'.
Some classic examples include Brian Cody, Michael Dempsey and Martin Fogarty.
And Ger Loughnane, Mike McNamara and Tony Considine.
5. A.N. Other
'A.N. Other' is a feature of many a local GAA match programme. Used to fill in the gap in the lineup announced during the week while the player probably heads to Poland to get some cryotherapy of that troublesome hamstring.
6. The town end
Nearly every GAA ground has one of these.
Here's Kieran Donaghy scoring into the 'town end' at Austin Stack Park.
7. Lookit
A multi-purpose verbal crutch utilised by GAA players up and down the country when being interviewed in the media. It can be used to buy time as a player searches for an answer that won't get them thrown off the panel. Equally, it can me used menacingly at the beginning of a sentence to reinforce a point being made.
8. Majestic McGillycuddy Reeks
A game, especially if it's a Munster Football Final at the height of summer, cannot be broadcast from Killarney without mention of the 'Majestic McGillycuddy Reeks'.
Failure to mention the mountain range and its majestic nature will likely result in a beating with a large stick by Weeshie Fogarty.
9. The cliched pen pic
No GAA match programme is complete with the pen pics. The possibility of finding out a player's height, weight and what type of car he drives is the only reason for spending the €5 on it.
Of course, the answers are generally the same for every player, especially when it comes to favourite film. Shawshank Redemption is the stock answer and maybe The Green Mile if someone sees themselves as being a little alternative. You'd have to be some sort of intellectual to answer The Godfather.
Here's a typical pen pic that you would've seen in a '90s match programme.
10. The game took on a life of its own
Meaning "Shit got very real after that."
11. Exponent
A word only used when talking about players of the past. Usually preceded by the words 'one of the finest' and followed by 'the art of high fielding'.
It is frowned upon to talk about Mick O'Connell without describing him as such.
12. They've another 15 on the line that are as good
It was regularly said about Kilkenny and now Dublin's footballers. Could be followed by the words 'if not better'.
13. Quarterback
A term adopted a number of years ago in soccer to describe players like Xabi Alonso or Michael Carrick who would sit deep and spray around passes, it has also now enter the GAA lexicon.
Used when describing Stephen Cluxton's role due to the importance of his kick outs in Dublin's gameplan.
We await the day when NFL analysts start talking about someone playing the 'Ryan McHugh role' in American football.
14. A draw was the right result in the end
Said at the end of a highly competitive and entertaining game, usually because 'neither team deserved to lose'.
15. The umpire took up a good position.
An umpire doesn't have many places to stand when a game is being played. So it's always amusing to hear a commentator complimenting an umpire on his positional sense.
A handy guide to umpire positioning:
16. Put it up
Usually shouted from the crowd towards an umpire when an insurance point goes over the bar.
17. "What do you think of that, Joe Brolly?"
A 2010s GAA cliche, but a cliche nonetheless.
18. They wrote us off during the week
19. Dressing room wall material
Any slight against a team in the build up to a game is ripe to be pinned to the dressing room and used as fuel to push a team towards victory.
20. Tight Pitch
A tight pitch is always a tough place to go. There's no space to play and the opposition fans are right on top of you. It's generally cited as a factor for the underdog having a chance.
Two examples include St. Conleth's Park in Newbridge.
and Nowlan Park in Kilkenny.
21. Wide Opens Spaces
The underdog fears the wide open spaces of Croke park.
and Semple.
22. Flying in training
When it comes to Championship football and hurling there is often little evidence regarding the form of teams. So hearing that a team is going well in training is highly regarded information.
23. He took the sensible option
What's better than socring a goal when one on one with the keeper? Opting to fist it over the bar.
24. He was a great minor but then the drink got him
25. They had their chance the first day
An underdog has only one opportunity to win and that's in the first game. If it goes to a replay, then they don't stand a chance.
26. Gone to the well
When it comes to crunch time in the Championship you don't just dig deep, you go to the well.
No team has gone to the well more down the years than Brian Cody and Kilkenny.
27. He owes his county nothing
It is criminal to talk about John Mullane without using this cliche.
28. Meath won't fear the Dubs
Probably one for the dustbin at this stage.
29. Bend your back!
Usually heard at underage games when there's a new player on the team who has played a lot of soccer but not much GAA and has a tendency to dribble the ball 'soccer style'.
30. Like hitting a ball off a stone wall
Don't aim the ball at Tommy Walsh. It's just going to come straight back at you.
31. Under the radar
Generally heard around the All-Ireland quarter-finals stage regarding a team which has progressed through the Championship but hasn't had much press coverage.
32. A wide is as good as a point at this stage
The most ridiculous, bullshit GAA cliche of all time.
33. Waiting in the long grass
Similar to Under The Radar but heard in the build up to a game when a team is possibly being underrated. Most often uttered by Cyril Farrell.
34. He's good but the brother is better
Literally said about every player that has a brother.
35. You don't win All-Irelands in July
36. September
Formerly the ultimate destination for GAA teams. The time every inter-county player is thinking about during the January slog. Now of course it's supposedly August and in the case of this year: "December".
37. Handbags
38. Schemozzle
39. Melee
40. Shameful scenes
41. Where's your pencil ref?
42. Sure we've got the wind the second half
43. Ratified
Heard on new bulletins across the country following news that a manager has been appointed.
GAA and international treaties, the only places where this word is used.
44. Dirty ball
Dirty ball is usually seen around the middle of the field and two inches off the ground. Won by the Richie McCaws of the team.
45. The hard yards
There used to be one of them on every team. Now there's upwards on 12 or 13.
46. Ding-dong battle
The O'Sheas and the Cavanaghs was a classic 'ding-dong battle'.
47. Why don't they just leave him on the edge of the square?
Heard anytime that Joe Canning stepped onto the pitch for Galway in his early career.
48. Tough places to go
Tough places to go.
49. Semi-finals are for winning
A great excuse for not playing well
50. The GAA love a draw
Possibly the most overused one of the lot.
51. The shackles are off
Why were they on in the first place?
52. Ah ref, this is championship
Mostly heard in local games when the ref gives a soft free which would have been OK in the league but not in the Championship. The set of rules used for championship is totally different to those used for the league.
53. We will be using subs
54. Sure tog out anyway
55. The so-called weaker counties
You know who you are!
56. Soccer style
You'll hear commentators say this anytime the ball isn't kicked from the hands or punched into the net. Also used anytime someone decides to do some 'soccer style' dribbling.
57. The Grab All Association
An alternative interpretation of the GAA acronym. Regularly exclaimed by someone who thinks they are the first person to ever say it.
58. And then the goalkeeper took it upon himself
It can now be used for a variety of sweeeper goalkeepers but originally this belonged to the great Shane Curran. No match report from a game featuring Shane Curran, be it a Roscommon or St. Brigid's match, is really complete without the words 'and then Shane Curran took it upon himself...'.
59. Close the gates
Uttered at club games when one local rival is hammering another. Usually followed by the words "...and make them watch".
60. How's he on the county panel? Sure he's shite.
Heard at a club game when there's a much heralded county player on the pitch.
61.
The only reason for going to the minor game rather than staying in the pub is that you have a relative playing. And even then, you turn up begrudgingly.
62. It'll be grand, sure we'll get tickets outside Quinns
63. Watching the game on TV with local radio commentary
64. Wristy hurler
65. Save a few of those for the game
You've only got so many points in your locker at the end of the day and you can't be wasting them on training.
66. Ah ref, that's a black card!
Generally shouted for something that is, in fact, not a black card offence.
67. You've got win one to lose one
Another cliche that means absolutely nothing, it got bandied around a lot when Tipperary lost to Kilkenny in the 2009 final but then beat them in the 2010 final.
68. One of yis
69. Let it in!
Generally heard at a club games when there's lots of...
70. Don't take it into the tackle!
Shouted immediately before a player proceeds to take it into the tackle.
71. It's only a league game
In the end, it's all about Championship. Poor performances and losses in league games are easily dismissed. They only really matter when the threat of relegation looms.
72. Kilkenny training games
Kilkenny training games are the hardest that anyone has ever played in. They're Championship standard. This is mainly due to Brian Cody...
73. He swallowed the whistle
Regularly said regarding Brian Cody's refereeing style during Kilkenny training.
74. They died with their boots on
When a team lose but leave it all on the pitch.
74. You can't be blowing for everything
75. We won't be taking them for granted
76. Men possessed
