bench jockey

noun

A player, coach or manager who verbally annoys and distracts opposition players and umpires from his team's dugout bench.

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Meanings

nounbench jockey (plural bench jockeys)

plural bench jockeys

  1. USidiomaticslangball gamesA player, coach or manager who verbally annoys and distracts opposition players and umpires from his team's dugout bench.

Origin

As verbal jousting is frequently called "riding", the "rider" sitting on a bench came to be known as the "bench jockey".

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

bench jockey. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/bench%20jockey

MLA

“bench jockey.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/bench%20jockey. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “bench jockey,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/bench%20jockey.

Source: bench jockey on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.