Inning, Innings, and the Seventh-Inning Stretch

Inning, Innings, and the Seventh-Inning Stretch Inning, Innings, and the Seventh-Inning Stretch Inning, Innings, and the Seventh-Inning Stretch By Maeve Maddox In the games of baseball and cricket, opposing teams take turns batting a ball. A baseball game is divided into nine innings during which each team has a turn at bat. Each half of an inning ends with the third out. (An out occurs when a player strikes out or is tagged between bases.) I’ll let Merriam-Webster explain the cricket term innings: innings (noun): plural but singular or plural in construction :   a division of a cricket match in which one side continues batting until ten players are retired or the side declares; also :  the time a player stays as a batsman until he is out, until ten teammates are out, or until his side declares. Both terms have given rise to figurative expressions. In reference to cricket, the term â€Å"to have one’s innings† can mean simply, â€Å"to have one’s turn at something.† Spoken of someone who dies at an advanced age, â€Å"to have a good innings,† means, â€Å"to have a long and successful life.† Here are some examples of the figurative use of innings: The men had their innings in a revival of George Bernard Shaw’s Don Juan in Hell, performed as a staged reading in the style designed by Charles Laughton in 1952. Berry told the Radio Times: I have no desire to be a centenarian. I think 90 is a great time. Youve had a good innings.† From baseball comes the expression â€Å"the seventh-inning stretch.† The ritual of the seventh-inning stretch is described in a letter dated 1869: The spectators all arise between halves of the seventh inning, extend their legs and arms and sometimes walk about. In so doing they enjoy the relief afforded by relaxation from a long posture upon hard benches. Chicago Cubs fans have been singing â€Å"Take Me Out to the Ballgame† during the seventh-inning stretch since 1982. It’s often referred to as â€Å"the seventh-inning song.† In researching this post, I discovered that some baseball fans are a bit confused about what to call this traditional interlude: Incorrect: The  seventh ending stretch  came and to our surprise an announcement was being made over the loud speakers and a message appeared on the scoreboard. Correct : The  seventh-inning stretch  came and to our surprise an announcement was being made over the loud speakers and a message appeared on the scoreboard. Incorrect: In typical fashion, the third quarter seemed like a seventh ending stretch. Bear and I both took several catnaps due to the lackluster performance of both teams. Correct : In typical fashion, the third quarter seemed like a seventh-inning stretch. Bear and I both took several catnaps due to the lackluster performance of both teams. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Expressions category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Has vs. HadRound vs. Around75 Synonyms for â€Å"Hard†