bowl a googly

verb

to surprise (someone); to introduce (to someone) something unexpected, underhand or requiring a quick reaction or correction.

“Fred bowled me a googly when he asked me to explain those statistics in the meeting.”

Similar
catch unawarescatch off guardwrong-foot
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Meanings

verbbowl a googly (third-person singular simple present bowls a googly, present participle bowling a googly, simple past and past participle bowled a googly)

present singular third person bowls a googly · participle present bowling a googly · participle past bowled a googly · past bowled a googly

  1. UKfigurativelyidiomatictransitiveto surprise (someone); to introduce (to someone) something unexpected, underhand or requiring a quick reaction or correction.

    Fred bowled me a googly when he asked me to explain those statistics in the meeting.

  2. ambitransitiveball gamesUsed other than figuratively or idiomatically: see bowl, googly.

    Synonyms: catch unawares, catch off guard, wrong-foot

Synonyms & antonyms

verbUsed other than figuratively or idiomatically: see bowl, googly.

Similar
catch unawarescatch off guardwrong-foot

Origin

From the cricket term.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Finnish lyödä ällikällä
  • lyödä ällikälläto require a quick reaction from by doing something unexpected
French prendre de court, poser une colle
  • prendre de courtto require a quick reaction from by doing something unexpected
  • poser une colleto require a quick reaction from by doing something unexpected
Polish zadawać podchwytliwe pytanie, zadać podchwytliwe pytanie
  • zadawać podchwytliwe pytanieto require a quick reaction from by doing something unexpected
  • zadać podchwytliwe pytanieto require a quick reaction from by doing something unexpected
Cite this entry
APA

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

MLA

“bowl a googly.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/bowl%20a%20googly. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

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

Source: bowl a googly on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.