What a "humdinger" of a match! It was high scoring. It was full of action. It was a great performance full of serious players trying to win a game.
It was not what we often see in these race-for-third-place games which is; a bunch of "sore losers" not "showing up" and giving a "lacklustre" performance. I saw a great game with players that wanted to prove themselves as the champions that they are. This game really "lived up to expectations". It was a game that was "easy on the eyes" and I hope that the game today - the fight for the FIFA World Cup - will be as exciting to watch.
1) "humdinger" - A "humdinger" is an informal noun used when you see something that is amazing or even unusually large. If you are walking along the street and see a 20 metre high statue of a football boot, you could easily describe it as a "humdinger of a statue". We can use this when we hear something surprising also. If you are in the management meeting and the CEO tells you all that he is leaving the company to pursue his interest in interpretive dance, you couls easily describe the meeting and/or the announcement as a "humdinger". Similarly used informal words include: a "doozy", a "whopper", a "dandy", or a "peach".
2) to be a "sore loser" - A "sore loser" is someone who is very unhappy at not being the winner. The competitors that remove their silver medals as soon as they are placed around their necks could be called "sore losers". We use this expression commonly anytime anyone does not accept defeat graciously and/or in the manner you consider gracious. Just because your brother-in-law gets up from the table doesn't mean that he is a "sore loser. However, if he throws the cards on the ground and starts to cry, we would be more comfortable calling him a "sore loser" or maybe we should check if he took his medication today.
3) to "show up" - This is one of the myriads of phrasal verbs in English. We use them all the time and you just have to memorize them and try using them in your conversation. To "show up" literally means to be present where you are expected. IF you are making plans with a friend to go to a movie together and the movie starts at 19:00 then you may ask your friend to ensure they "show up" 15 minutes early so you can secure good seats. Never "show up" at a meeting late, unless you like making your coworkers wait for you.
In the case of the football game, we use "show up" figuratively because there would be no game if no players were present. We are describing their mental abilities shown during the game. We mean that although their bodies are there, they seem distracted and uninterested in who will win the game. "I don't like to have Monday morning meetings too early because although there are people in the chairs, no one really shows up to work on Monday until 10 am."
4) something is "lacklustre" - "Lacklustre" (or "lackluster" if you are American) describes something that literally has no shine and figuratively is not exciting or "uninspired". Often we use "lacklustre" with the word performance as in, "That was a lacklustre performance. At halftime the coach should give a speech to help the players remember why they are here and hopefully they will play harder." In business you could describe a sales presentation as lacklustre.
5) something "lived up to expectations" - Another phrasal verb! To "live up to" something is to achieve the expected result. That is why we often use the phrase to "live up to expectations". A great match, like the bronze medal match, can "live up to expectations" (or "live up to the hype") like Uruguay against Germany did or they can do the opposite and "not live up to expectations" or be a "disappointment". In business you could say to your team, "I hope next months sales figures will live up to our expectations. We need a strong sales month."
6) something can be "easy on the eyes" - Anything that is "easy on the eyes" is beautiful. We use it to describe attractive people most often. To describe something like a football match as "easy on the eyes" is a true compliment to the players. I describe football as beautiful all the time. But using the phrase "easy on the eyes" is much more poetic. Perhaps I will try it.
Will we have a humdinger of a final today? Will the players show up and really live up to our expectations? I hope that both teams do their best but you know I am hoping that Spain wins. Go Spain!
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