Howzat?!
Post categories: Staff blog
| 12:57 UK time, Tuesday, 13 September 2011
Hi Graciela. I don't know whether to take it as a compliment or an insult when you call me and my fellow countrymen and women 'quirky'.
However I am only too pleased to help you navigate through some of the more baffling aspects of British culture.
Graciela, you mention cricket. I really don't see what's so difficult to understand about this magnificent game. It's really very simple, as explained in this famous, humorous list of rules written by an anonymous author:
as Explained to a Foreign Visitor
You have two sides, one out in the field and one in.
Each man that's in the side that's in, goes out, and when he's out, he comes in and the next man goes in until he's out.
When they are all out the side that's out comes in and the side that's been in goes out and tries to get those coming in out.
Sometimes you get men still in and not out.
When both sides have been in and out including the not-outs, that's the end of the game.
Did you understand that? I doubt it. You're not supposed to. It's a deliberately confusing description of the game. But the thing I like about it is that to people who understand the game, these rules do actually make perfect sense!
I am, of course, willing to answer any of your questions on the game, but first I have one for you. Can anyone tell me what "Howzat?" means? I look forward to your replies and Graciela's further questions.
I'll leave you with a photo I took recently of a match I went to: England vs India. What a perfect day out!
USEFUL VOCABULARY
• take it - interpret this information
• my fellow countrymen - people from the same country as me
• navigate - find your way
• baffling - very confusing
• anonymous - not named
Comment number 1.
At 13th Sep 2011, Elisabeth wrote:Hi Neil,
What a hilarious "description" of the game! I don't have the first idea what cricket is all about, but still I had a good laugh reading those rules.
As to "Howzat?", I THINK I know what it means, so I'd rather not be a spoilsport and leave it to my fellow commenters to post their guesses.
Best wishes,
Elisabeth from Austria
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Comment number 2.
At 13th Sep 2011, ALFONSO wrote:Hi Neal,
Thanks again for your valuables comments on english grammar.
About the word´howzat´:Slang and short for the expression ´How is that´
All the best,
Alfonso
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Comment number 3.
At 15th Sep 2011, TK Nallappan wrote:Hi Neil,
I do agree Alfonso's comment, the word "howzat" itself explains "How is that".
But when it comes into cricket.. howzat is an appeal is the act of a player on the fielding team asking an umpire for a decision regarding whether a batsman is out or not.
Best Regards,
TK Nallappan
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Comment number 4.
At 21st Sep 2011, Wilson wrote:Hi everybody.
I tried to understand the rules of baseball a long time ago, read it on wikipedia (even in spanish) but I gave up, just could not get it. I can not even completely understand soccer rules..and I'm from SouthAmerica!!. So I have to admit I didn't understand the rules of cricket, indeed when I read on Wikipedia, they seemed to me as confussing as those given by the foreign visitor..
But anyway I enjoy watching the games, even if I have to ask every moment what is going on, and I love seeing the people's reaction and emotions they feel. There is something like penalti shots?
Thanks for your post
Wilson
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Comment number 5.
At 21st Sep 2011, tahira wrote:I love cricket to play with freinds in our garden...althought we dont know the ruels very good...but we created a game on our ownself and I know that cricket playing is a lot of fun :)
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