How do you use "Bowl a googly" in a sentence?

The interviewer bowled him a googly with that question. Life bowled us a googly when the funding fell through. She bowled them a googly by resigning.

Bowl a googly

Q: What does "Bowl a googly" mean?

To deceive or confuse someone with an unexpected move. From cricket—a googly is a ball that spins unexpectedly. Used metaphorically for any surprising or deceptive action.

Slang Term BritishAustralian ★★☆☆☆ Uncommon Casual

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Meaning: To deceive or confuse someone with an unexpected move.

用出人意料的举动迷惑或困惑某人

Engañar o confundir a alguien con un movimiento inesperado.

予想外の行動で人を惑わせる、困惑させる

예상치 못한 행동으로 상대를 당황시키다

From cricket—a googly is a ball that spins unexpectedly. Used metaphorically for any surprising or deceptive action.

源自板球——googly是一种出乎意料变向的球。比喻任何令人惊讶或具有欺骗性的行为。

Del críquet—un googly es una bola que gira inesperadamente. Se usa metafóricamente para cualquier acción sorprendente o engañosa.

クリケット由来の表現。グーグリーは予想外の方向に変化するボール。驚かせたり惑わせたりする行動の比喩として使われる。

크리켓에서 유래—구글리는 예상치 못하게 회전하는 공이다. 비유적으로 예상 밖의 기습적인 행동을 뜻한다.

Literal meaning: Deliver a deceptive cricket ball

Examples

The interviewer bowled him a googly with that question.
面试官用那个问题让他措手不及
El entrevistador lo pilló desprevenido con esa pregunta
面接官はその質問で彼を困惑させた
면접관이 그 질문으로 그를 당황하게 만들었어.
Life bowled us a googly when the funding fell through.
资金断裂给了我们一个措手不及
La vida nos sorprendió cuando se acabó la financiación
資金が途絶えて人生に翻弄された
자금이 끊기면서 인생에 뒤통수를 맞았어.
She bowled them a googly by resigning.
她辞职让大家大吃一惊
Los sorprendió a todos al dimitir
彼女は辞任することで皆を驚かせた
그녀는 사퇴함으로써 모두를 놀라게 했어.

Pronunciation

/baʊl ə ˈɡuːɡli/

Usage Guide

Context: surprise, deception, confusion

Tone: knowing, impressed

✓ Do Say

Bowled a googly.
出其不意
Pillar desprevenido
不意打ちを食らわせた
기습을 날렸어
That was a googly.
那真是出乎意料
Eso fue inesperado
あれは不意打ちだった
그건 기습이었어
Bowled us a googly.
让我们措手不及
Nos pillaron desprevenidos
不意を突かれた
우리를 허를 찔렀어

✗ Don't Say

Surprised us
Surprised us（让我们惊讶）
Surprised us（Nos sorprendió）
Surprised us（驚かせた）
Surprised us（놀라게 했다）
Threw a curveball
Threw a curveball（扔了个曲线球）
Threw a curveball（Lanzó una bola curva）
Threw a curveball（カーブボールを投げた）
Threw a curveball（변화구를 던졌다）

Common Mistakes

Cricket term—unknown to Americans
American equivalent is 'threw a curveball'

Origin & History

From cricket—a googly is a leg-break delivery that spins the opposite way to expected.

Etymology: British cricket slang, early 20th century

First recorded: Early 1900s

Cultural Context

Era: Early 20th century to present

Generation: Cricket fans, older speakers

Social background: Universal in cricket nations

Pop culture: Cricket commentary; British political commentary

Regional notes: British and Australian—Americans use 'threw a curveball.'

Variations

Bowl a googlyBowled a googlyThat's a googly