Off to a Flying Start » Upset http://offtoaflyingstartpress.com Horsing Around the Language -- The Book, the blog, and more. Mon, 23 Aug 2010 15:48:05 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 en hourly 1 The Origins of the Sport’s Term “Upset” http://offtoaflyingstartpress.com/2009/07/14/the-origins-of-the-sports-term-upset/ http://offtoaflyingstartpress.com/2009/07/14/the-origins-of-the-sports-term-upset/#comments Tue, 14 Jul 2009 22:09:26 +0000 bill http://offtoaflyingstartpress.com/?p=161 man-o-wars-shoes

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

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