Meanings
- UKcountableuncountableA malapropism, mixed metaphor or other humorous misspeaking, especially in sports commentary.
On a point of order, Miss Fookes. Is it in order for my hon. Friend to use a Colemanballs in this Committee?
1984, Brian Sedgemore, “Official Report of the Standing Committees: Session 1983–1984”, in parliamentary debates (House of Commons, Parliament of the United Kingdom), volume 2, page 95, column 13 more examples
British TV viewers may think themselves lucky that all they got for commentary on the last Olympics was the usual load of Colemanballs
1987 October 16, Rayner Banham, “On the Wings of Wonder”, in New Society, volume 82, number 1294, pages 18–20It is footballers though, rather than commentators, presenters or pundits, who when interviewed have provided some of the best Colemanballs.
2004, George Best, Scoring At Half-Time: Adventures On and Off the Pitch, →ISBN, page 259I read out a quote from Harry Cavan, who was Northern Ireland's FIFA representative. He had made a Colemanballs with "The Scots are still refusing to meet us in Belfast, so we may have to compromise on this and meet them halfway."
2011, Bob Bevan, Nearly Famous: Adventures of an After-Dinner Speaker, →ISBNSynonyms: Yogiism
Synonyms & antonyms
nounA malapropism, mixed metaphor or other humorous misspeaking, especially in sports commentary.
Origin
From Coleman + balls (“nonsense”), from the football commentator David Coleman. Originally the title of a column in Private Eye magazine collecting mistakes in sports commentary.
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
Colemanballs. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Colemanballs
“Colemanballs.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Colemanballs. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Colemanballs,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Colemanballs.
Source: Colemanballs on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.