Swim Slang

No noodler in the history of known noodling has ever complained about a pool being too hot. If you have seen such a blue-hair please immediately take a picture and post. LOL! Aye-aye Cap'n. I'll keep my eyes peeled and will provide a full report upon such a sighting. :bump:

I guess I didn't watch any of the backstroke events. So you do your start while the other guy/gal is still in the water? That is weird. I suppose it wasn't an issue for the 50 back event, which I didn't watch. I swam the 200. Having someone next to you for your start isn't as weird as after your heat, when you're waiting next to someone else while they're doing their start.

This one might cause some discussion... "Lap" (noun)--while most non-swimmers might think of a lap as a "complete circuit" (which would imply coming back to the starting point (i.e., two lengths of a pool)), many swimmers consider a "lap" to be a single length of the pool. I think this usage of "lap" is clearly swimming slang. "I didn't breath at all on the second lap of my 50 free." "Lap" (verb)--this means to pass somebody in a race or set by a full circuit (two lengths) of the pool. Note the inconsistency with the slang way many swimmers define "lap" as a noun. "Lap" as a verb may not be swimming slang at all. "Micheal Phelps could lap me in the 100 fly."

piano - when all your muscles seize up and you can barely move forward anymore, you are swimming with a piano on your back. Very descriptive. Merely thinking of this will slow me down.:cool:

No noodler in the history of known noodling has ever complained about a pool being too hot. If you have seen such a blue-hair please immediately take a picture and post. Exactly what I was going to say. Also they are usually women aged 60+.

I still maintain that use of the word "lap" as a noun labels you as a competitive swimming tyro. It's tantamount to wearing your goggles around your neck.

I still maintain that use of the word "lap" as a noun labels you as a competitive swimming tyro. It's tantamount to wearing your goggles around your neck. Yep. I had this conversation a couple years ago: Her: How long is this pool? Me: 25 yards. Her: How many laps are a quarter mile? Me: 18 lengths of the pool. Although she was very obviously a tri-n00b preparing for a sprint, to her credit she was there swimming multiple times per week for a couple months. Proper preparation: :applaud:

This one might cause some discussion... "Lap" (noun)--while most non-swimmers might think of a lap as a "complete circuit" (which would imply coming back to the starting point (i.e., two lengths of a pool)), many swimmers consider a "lap" to be a single length of the pool. I think this usage of "lap" is clearly swimming slang. "I didn't breath at all on the second lap of my 50 free." "Lap" (verb)--this means to pass somebody in a race or set by a full circuit (two lengths) of the pool. Note the inconsistency with the slang way many swimmers define "lap" as a noun. "Lap" as a verb may not be swimming slang at all. "Micheal Phelps could lap me in the 100 fly." I've always considered a lap of anything to be a circuit which returns the racer to the point of origin, whether circumferential or out-and-back. Is this an idiosyncratic use of the term specific only to swimming, or is it a localized misuse of the term which is not indicative of the membership at large?

I've always considered a lap of anything to be a circuit which returns the racer to the point of origin, whether circumferential or out-and-back. Is this an idiosyncratic use of the term specific only to swimming, or is it a localized misuse of the term which is not indicative of the membership at large? It's odd..swimmers pride themselves on being more of a cerebral bunch of jocks...yet seem to have issues with understanding the difference between a length and a lap...a bit like the ambiguity between "freestyle" and front crawl. :bolt:

You were there at LCM Nats in '08... backstroke "flyovers" were in effect... and they're pretty creepy. I guess I didn't watch any of the backstroke events. So you do your start while the other guy/gal is still in the water? That is weird.