Things I learned from wrestling

[JaymeFuture]

I remember stunning my Grandmother when the £250,000 question on Who Wants To Be A Millionaire was "In what US State is the city of Chattanooga?", which I answered correctly before the options come up.

 

Same as everyone else. Lots of geography and language, As a ten year old I once used the word "plagiarism" to my Mom, who then said there's no way I knew the definition of that word. I told her, she looked it up, and I was right. All after reading a bit in Power Slam magazine about how WWF was plagiarising ECWs gimmicks in 1995.

 

Similar to an earlier poster, the Bob Backlund gimmick made me buy a thesaurus as a kid after hearing him tell the audience not to "exacerbate" him.

 

Also got an underscore on a paper I wrote for my journalism degree for using the word "trifecta", as my tutor thought the word was just bullshit.

[Matt D]

I think you can learn a lot about serialized storytelling from wrestling, actually: things like how to build up a threat or how to have someone lose but not lose their heat.

[Petey]

100% agreed on learning about storytelling from wrestling. In fact, when my friends and I go see a movie and discuss it after, or even with some TV shows, I often use wrestling terms to describe my thoughts and a lot of times will watch something and think to myself, "they just killed Character A's heat by not having him/her react better" or something like that.

[MFoy]

I definitely have noted that Game of Thrones features a lot of heel and face turns, and have described them as such.

[flyonthewall2983]

Close only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades.

[Smack2k]

A large Vocabulary was picked up by me watching Bockwinkel in the 80s AWA..I swear almost everyday on ESPN in the mid to late 80s I'd grab the dictionary to check out what he said..

 

Geography, without a doubt...including Sid's hometown of "Wherever he damn well pleases"...

[JerryvonKramer]

When I was watching Breaking Bad, I kept flagging up face turns and heel turns. Nowm don't get me wrong, I think Breaking Bad is one of the best shows ever made, but once you saw it you couldn't unsee it. "Oh, Hank's working heel this season".

[Smack2k]

I ask my boss at work when he is in a bad mood if he is planning a heel turn!! He doesnt like that once I told him what i meant, so I do it more often now....

[artDDP]

I ask my boss at work when he is in a bad mood if he is planning a heel turn!! He doesnt like that once I told him what i meant, so I do it more often now....

In that same vein I use the phrases "get yourself over" and "put yourself over" in everyday conversation when describing someone trying to get noticed.

 

There's probably other wrestling terms I use in conversation that I don't realize.

[Johnny Sorrow]

When I was watching Breaking Bad, I kept flagging up face turns and heel turns. Nowm don't get me wrong, I think Breaking Bad is one of the best shows ever made, but once you saw it you couldn't unsee it. "Oh, Hank's working heel this season".

If we had watched Breaking Bad together and you had said shit like that I'd have punched you.

[Guest Eduardo James]

Yeah...sorry guys, but I'm not sure I'd want to hang around people who describe things with wrestling lingo. Seems slightly unhealthy.

[JerryvonKramer]

 

When I was watching Breaking Bad, I kept flagging up face turns and heel turns. Nowm don't get me wrong, I think Breaking Bad is one of the best shows ever made, but once you saw it you couldn't unsee it. "Oh, Hank's working heel this season".

If we had watched Breaking Bad together and you had said shit like that I'd have punched you.

 

It's true though, the way the show played with audience sympathies everyone had a run where you hated them and a run where you were rooting for them. Probably levels out so that it's all shades of grey and "tweener" by the end, but there are some blatant turns in it along the way.

[MFoy]

I 'd say that if any show has lots of heel and face turns, it's Game of Thrones.

[ButchReedMark]

I'd say Oz. The greatest pro wrestling TV show of all time.

 

I think probably the only pro wrestling term I use in my day to day conversations is "sell".

 

Man A: So I told him that if he carried on annoying me he'd find himself out of a job.

Man B: Did he sell it?

[Johnny Sorrow]

 

 

When I was watching Breaking Bad, I kept flagging up face turns and heel turns. Nowm don't get me wrong, I think Breaking Bad is one of the best shows ever made, but once you saw it you couldn't unsee it. "Oh, Hank's working heel this season".

If we had watched Breaking Bad together and you had said shit like that I'd have punched you.

It's true though, the way the show played with audience sympathies everyone had a run where you hated them and a run where you were rooting for them. Probably levels out so that it's all shades of grey and "tweener" by the end, but there are some blatant turns in it along the way.

Right, but using wrestling terminology is awful behavior. I'm guilty of doing it now and then, and when I do I deserve to be horsewhipped.

[MikeCampbell]

All those years of listening to Gorilla, Jesse, Mean Gene, and Lord Alfred did wonders for my vocabulary as a child. I used to routinely use words I'd heard them say, in the correct context, and impress my teachers.

[khawk20]

All those years of listening to Gorilla, Jesse, Mean Gene, and Lord Alfred did wonders for my vocabulary as a child. I used to routinely use words I'd heard them say, in the correct context, and impress my teachers.

 

I did the same thing as a child after reading Peanuts/Charlie Brown paperbacks.

[Loss]

I'd probably only say it to other wrestling fans. For example, I think describing an argument where you just drop it for the sake of your sanity as "doing a job" sort of works, but I'd never say it to someone who wouldn't get it.

[JerryvonKramer]

I have successfully introduced wrestling lingo to several groups of friends who are not wrestling fans.

 

Example text exchange:

Friend: Hey coming to the quiz next week?

 

[several hours later, after I've not responded]

 

Friend: Are you no-selling me?

"No-sell" has definitely entered the lexicon. I think some of my friends use it without even knowing where it came from.

 

I forget myself sometimes though. I've had quizzical looks a few times when I've said "oh I'm a mark for ..."

[dawho5]

I tend to use "get over" or just "over" a lot more than I used to.

[JaymeFuture]

I'd make a joke about rating my girlfriend's period on the Muta scale, but I fear I'd be banned.

[greenmistguy90]

Learned the word "sperm " from the Katie Vick angle

Boy was that fun when I asked my parents what it meant

[Jingus]

My in-ring training was pretty rudimentary, but simply being trained to bump and protect myself has saved me on a couple of slippery occasions. When you randomly trip and fall and you've got like half a second before you hit the ground, having Bumping 101 permanently programmed into your muscle memory can save you from cracking your skull open with the simplest of instincts like "tuck your chin" and "put your arms Here".

 

Any competent grappling or MMA dojo will teach you the same thing, I'd recommend that everyone get some instruction on how to do breakfalls, you never know when it might come in really handy.

[Johnny Sorrow]

That's true. Whenever someone in real life swings a chair at my head, I put up my hands. Also, when I was bouncing I'd always stomp my foot as I punched someone.

[Jingus]

Quit being bitchy. Bumping techniques are originally based on legitimate breakfalls, and being trained in that stuff can (and HAS, in my case) help protect your body in real life if you ever have an accidental fall.