Etymology

bend it like Beckham

bend it like Beck·ham

Today it means: To kick a football (soccer ball), especially during a free kick, in a manner which causes it to move in a curve rather than in a straight line. Full definition →

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The story

From bend + it + like + Beckham, referring to the skill of the English footballer David Beckham (born 1975) in kicking a football with a curling shot. The term was popularized by the title of the film Bend It Like Beckham (2002).

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.