Sportsmen and teams

for horse-racing, and sometimes for motor and motor-cycle racing too

golf-course.

Links golf-links

an alternative to "golf-course". Rink ice-rink

for ice skating. The most common name. skating-rink

for ice skating, or sometimes roller-skating, although in that case it is clearer to use "roller skating-rink".

Pool/baths

swimming-pool/baths (see Part II, No. 13).

Gymnasium (pi. gymnasiums)

usually abbreviated to "gym". For gymnastics.

"Sports hall" is not used.

Sportsmen and teams

As mentioned at the beginning of this article (see Part I, No. 4), "sportsman/woman" is used less often than спортсмен(ка). Instead English people use "player", in the case of games, or words specifying the type of sport, for example, "skier", "skater". Words denoting sportsmen are generally formed by adding the suffix "-er" to the name of sport:

boxer, cricketer, driver, footballer, golfer, jumper

(high jumper, long jumper), rider, runner, skater,

skier, swimmer, wrestler.

Note, however, that "jockey" is used in horse- racing. In some cases, however, there is no form with "-er," and "player" is added:

basket-ball player, hockey player, ice-hockey

player, net-ball player, rugby player, tennis

player.

In a few cases the stem is modified:

athlete, cyclist, gymnast.

"Team" is used in the following expressions: school/college/university team

team, representing the school, etc.

If there is more than one team representing the institution, "first/second team" may be used, the first being the best. (See also "first eleven" at the end of this section.)

national team — сборная команда

team representing a country, consisting of the best players. "Combined team" is not used in this sense, and is not clear out of context.

England team — сборная Англии

team representing England English team

This may mean the same as "England team", that is, one consisting of the best players in England, or simply any team of Englishmen.

British team

team representing the whole of Britain French/German/Soviet team, etc. In the case of foreign countries only the adjectival form is used. It usually, although not necessarily, means сборная команда. Olympic team

team- representing a country in the Olympic Games. "Play for" is often used in the sense of "rep­resent", "be in the team".

e. g. a) He plays (football) for the/his school/university.

b) He plays for Manchester United. Here "football" is implied by the use of a well-known football team.

c) He used to play (cricket) for Warwick­shire/England.

Other verbs, such as "jump", "ride", "run", "swim", may be used with "for" in the same way. e. g. a) He has been selected to run for Britain

in the Olympics.

b) She swims for the university. Note: At Oxford and Cambridge those students who represent their university in some sport are awarded "a blue", that is, the right to wear a blue cap and scarf (dark blue for Oxford, light blue for Cambridge). This gives considerable social status. "Blue" occurs in such sentences: He won/got his blue. It may also denote a per­son who has won a blue: He was a cricket blue when he was in Oxford.

Cardinal numbers, corresponding to the num­ber of players, are sometimes used in the sense of "team".

e. g. a) He's in the first eleven.

(Meaning he's in the first cricket team of his

school/university, etc.)

b) The England fifteen were beaten by Wales yesterday. (Speaking of rugby.)

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