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Original poster

Off his own bat - or back?

43 replies

Padiana · 09/07/2019 22:15

"He applied for the apprenticeship off his own bat"
Or
"He applied for the apprenticeship off his own back"

Which is correct? I have always said back but a [cricketing] friend used bat the other day and it stuck out because it sounded wrong, but got me thinking that perhaps it was me who had been wrong all these years?
What do you say?

OP posts:
AnyFucker · 09/07/2019 22:15

Bat

DramaAlpaca · 09/07/2019 22:16

Bat, definitely.

Claredogmum · 09/07/2019 22:16

Back

TheQueenSnortsAvocados · 09/07/2019 22:20

It's bat. As in cricket bat. Scoring "off the bat" rather than through a bye/wide etc.

treehousethunderstorm · 09/07/2019 22:22

Bat. As above, it's an old cricketing term.

AbsentmindedWoman · 09/07/2019 22:23

Bat, definitely.

lottiegarbanzo · 09/07/2019 22:25

Bat

EAIOU · 09/07/2019 22:26

Back.

GreenTulips · 09/07/2019 22:27

Bat

It is a cricketing term

lottiegarbanzo · 09/07/2019 22:28

How would you score / achieve something off your own back?

Afteryoux · 09/07/2019 22:28

Bat but I had to google it the other day as I have heard back so often I was questioning it.

Ounce · 09/07/2019 22:28

Bat.

Smidge001 · 09/07/2019 22:29

Bat

londonmarathonhalfwaypoint · 09/07/2019 22:29

Bat is correct

MercifulHour · 09/07/2019 22:29

Bat. It only makes sense as a cricket metaphor.

TitianaTitsling · 09/07/2019 22:32

Bat- 'back' s just not cricket!

Reallybadidea · 09/07/2019 22:32

It's bat. Although I think back is on the verge of becoming an acceptable alternative, which is annoying as it's meaningless.

campion · 09/07/2019 22:33

Bat.
Cricketing reference.

Reallybadidea · 09/07/2019 22:34

I think the confusion stems from the phrase "he'd give someone the shirt off his own back". Totally different meaning though!

FromDespairToHere · 09/07/2019 22:42

Definitely bat!

huggybear · 09/07/2019 22:53

Bat! Not heard back but it does make logical sense.

lazylinguist · 09/07/2019 22:55

Bat is correct.

Dowser · 09/07/2019 23:08

Bat ...definitely

nocoolnamesleft · 09/07/2019 23:20

Bat.

SDTGisAnEvilWolefGenius · 09/07/2019 23:35

Bat. Cricket metaphor.