Bounce and bouncing

Many slang or informal words meaning ‘big’ are related to hitting or striking eg thumping, whacking, strapping, and whopping. Bouncing, too, is often used with the sense ‘big’ (a bouncing baby is a healthy, vigorous one), since the original sense of the verb ‘bounce’ (in the 13th century) was to beat or thump. In the 16th century its meaning widened to include noise or sound – the OED definitions include “to make a loud explosive noise; to talk loudly or bigly” and “to slam or bang (a door)”. At around the same time the phrase “to bounce it” was used of women dancing and bounce also acquired its current meaning (as the OED has it, “to bound like a ball”). To bound meaning 'jump' only appears in English in the late 16th century. It has a French origin (bondir), whereas to bounce seems to be linked with Dutch (bonzen, to thump) and Low German (bunsen, ditto).

Comments

[john]

Susan,

What is the origin of the British English expression "....on the bounce?" Example: "Spurs have won (or lost) three on the bounce."

From my perspective, it seems unique to Britain.

thanks

[Virtual Linguist]

Thanks, John. It must be restricted to sport as I didn't know the phrase, although googling it brings up lots of hits, and my son explained to me that it means 'in a row', as I'm sure you know.

The phrase 'on the bounce' is in the OED and goes back to the 16th century when bounce meant leap or bound. The definition given is "in continual spasmodic movement". There are no sporting citations, and none where the phrase means 'in a row', but I'd say the current meaning developed from this sense.

[John]

Thank you Susan.

It is a fairly common expression in Barclay's Premier League telecasts. It seems as if I hear it at least once per weekend.

As you suspected, I do know what it meant in current usage, but wondered what the origin might have been. "In continual spasmodic movement" would seem to me, a linguistic layman, to have been a plausible origin for the "in a row" usage.

As always, an interesting post. Thank you.