What does "English on the ball" mean here?
This excerpt is from the novel the Shining:
The wind gusted again, this time from the northeast, a little English on the ball if you please, and he was again cut off from the vague shapes of the hills and even from the embankments on either side of the road. He was driving through white null.
I have looked up "English on the ball" on the Internet. It seems to have something to do with pool. But I'm not sure what it means in this context. Does the phrase in the context mean "the movement of the wind is like a cue ball having been applied to a sidespin"?
Thank you.
Top answer
zuotengdazuo Does the phrase in the context mean "the movement of the wind is like a cue ball having been applied to a sidespin"? Yes, something like that. The wind direction is shifting.
- zuotengdazuo Does the phrase in the context mean "the movement of the wind is like a cue ball having been applied to a sidespin"?
- Yes, something like that.
- The wind direction is shifting.
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zuotengdazuoDoes the phrase in the context mean "the movement of the wind is like a cue ball having been applied to a sidespin"?
Yes, something like that. The wind direction is shifting.
0Yes, it's a term used a lot in pool, snooker ,etc.
It's hard to interpret the meaning intended in your excerpt, but I think part of it is that the change in wind direction is unexpected (as is the effect of using spin in a game) and may make the situation more difficult.
0zuotengdazuoThe wind gusted again, this time from the northeast, a little English on the ball if you please,
The spirit (wind ***) that was causing the wind to blow decided to have some fun with the unfortunate driver and made the wind twist around in unexpected directions.
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