Group A and B are finalized. So in the knockout round that starts on Saturday, we'll see Uruguay meet South Korea and Argentina meet Mexico. Any predictions?
The people who should have a good idea about the results of the upcoming games are the coaches. We watch them stand, pace, shout and wave their arms every game. They are a mixed bunch of individuals with different focus points and ways to display their feelings. We all do these things under pressure but few of us are under the scrutiny that the coaches are on those South African sidelines.
Here is a list of terms used by football commentators describing these world-class coaches and their actions:
1) "livid" and "apoplectic" - Both these terms mean overcome with anger. The anger level is so high that it is difficult or impossible to hide. If your child lied to you about breaking the lamp, you might be angry but if your mother broke the lamp and then blamed your child, you might get livid. I, for example, was livid when the live World Cup game I was watching was interrupted at the 72nd minute by the television station's weather warning test symbol. It went on for over three minutes and in the end it was only a test. Really?! They couldn't have run the test during halftime or right after the live game? I am still very angry about that event but in the moment I was apoplectic.
2) He may "feel the need to shake things up a bit". - To "feel the need" is to believe something is necessary and is a casual way of describing this feeling. You can "feel the need" for an ice cream cone just as much as a company can "feel the need" to raise prices to compensate for their increasing advertising budget. You can use this anywhere but remember it is casual and not formal.
To "shake things up" is to change things. Usually it means you want to deviate from a plan or a routine. If your daily schedule includes stopping for coffee everyday before work, maybe today to "shake things up a bit" you could go to the gym or meet a friend for breakfast. This is a common phrase you can use in business too. You might want to hire a new sales manager to shake things up a bit in a department where sales are fine but not increasing. You want this new manager to change the way things are done and maybe even who does what job. Shaking things up isn't always good but it is usually used to change a stagnant situation or relationship. So the coach may "shake things up" by substituting a player into a game that would force the current players to move the ball differently to accommodate this new player's style and abilities. Essentially, change is good.
3) feeling rather "vexed" about that last decision - To be "vexed" is to be "worried" or "upset". Someone can be vexed (you don't feel vexed, you are vexed) and something can be vexing. A problem at work can be vexing. You can be vexed by your new boss's overtime policy. Anything "annoying" is vexing too. You can use the term anywhere and it is considered a little formal, especially in North America.
4) "pensive" - "Pensive" means "thoughtful" or "reflective" and can be used anywhere, business included. You can say to your boss, "You seem pensive today? Are you thinking about that new project we start on Monday?". You can also ask a friend if they "have something on their mind". This is the less formal version of pensive. Maybe you notice that your teenager is not responding to questions from his little sister (not a real surprise) and this is not his normal behaviour. You could ask if he "has something on his mind" that he might want to talk about and maybe you will get an answer. It is worth a try.
5) he is "pacing like a panther" on the sidelines - To "pace" (verb) is to walk back and forth in the same area usually due to anxiety. The simile of "like a panther" is accurate because most caged animals pace in their cages (walk back and forth at the front of the cage). They do it from boredom and some animal experts say "loss of mental faculties". Most coaches pace on the sidelines when there team is doing poorly or when a player is hurt and they are unsure of the severity of the injury. Pacing by the coach is not a signal that things are going well for your team.
You do hear the word "pace" used commonly during games. When it is used as a noun we are usually talking about the speed of walking or running. In a football match we talk about a player getting a pass at pace or about a player getting upfield at pace. Essentially it can be replaced by "fast" or "quickly".
Let's see who qualifies for the next round tomorrow. Can England remember who they are and the quality of their players in time to move forward? I believe so. Do you?
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