Terrible Towel

noun

A golden-yellow rally towel with the words "Terrible Towel" emblazoned on it; created by Pittsburgh Steelers football broadcaster Myron Cope.

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Meanings

nounTerrible Towel (plural Terrible Towels)

plural Terrible Towels

  1. A golden-yellow rally towel with the words "Terrible Towel" emblazoned on it; created by Pittsburgh Steelers football broadcaster Myron Cope.

Origin

From terrible + towel. Coined by Pittsburgh Steelers football broadcaster Myron Cope, who was quoted saying, "We’ll call it the Terrible Towel, and it will wreak its powers terribly on the opposition."

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Cite this entry
APA

Terrible Towel. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Terrible%20Towel

MLA

“Terrible Towel.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Terrible%20Towel. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Terrible Towel,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Terrible%20Towel.

Source: Terrible Towel on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.