Man-o' War's-Shoes
We were out to Belmont Park see the Grade I Man o’ War stakes this weekend . That got me thinking about the etymological “controversy” surrounding the sports term Upset. The great Man o’ War lost only one race in his illustrious career: the 1919 Sanford Stakes at Saratoga to a horse called Upset
The theory goes that the sports phrase “It’s an Upset” comes directly from that running of the Sanford.
But there are many word sleuths who believe “upset” was being used in sports long before the underdog Upset beat the heavily favored Man ‘o War.
Some references to the the earlier use of “upset” are here:
http://message.snopes.com/showthread.php?t=2435
To the best of my knowledge the term was in use before 1919 but it became more prevalent after Upset’s victory over Man o’ War
Tags: etymology, Man o' War, Upset
