bench

bench jockey

In US baseball slang, a coach or player who berates or derides the umpire or opposing players from his team's dugout bench. In this usage, "jockey," the rider of a race horse, refers to "riding someone," which commonly means to harass or ridicule a person. Primarily heard in US, South Africa. I wish you wouldn't be such a bench jockey at our games!

on the bench

1. [of a judge] directing a session of court. I have to go to court tomorrow. Who's on the bench? It doesn't matter who's on the bench. You'll get a fair hearing.

2. sitting, waiting for a chance to play in a game. (In sports, such as basketball, football, soccer, etc.) Bill is on the bench now. I hope he gets to play. John played during the first quarter, but now he's on the bench.

warm the bench

Fig. [for a player] to remain out of play during a game—seated on a bench. John spent the whole game warming the bench. Mary never warms the bench. She plays from the beginning to the end.

on the bench

1. waiting to play in a game He went from spending all his time on the bench to being a starter.

2. serving as a judge Garman was the first woman in her law school and the first on the bench in Illinois.

on the bench

1. Presiding as judge in a law court, as in Lawyers are very careful when Judge Brown is on the bench. This usage alludes to the seat occupied by a judge. [Late 1200s]

2. Waiting for a chance to participate; also, removed from participation. For example, Mary complained that all her colleagues were going to the sales conference while she was left on the bench . This usage comes from baseball and other sports, where players not deemed ready or competent to play sit on a bench watching the game. [Early 1900s]

warm the bench

Also, ride the bench. Be a secondary or substitute participant; wait one's turn to participate. For example, I can't wait till the head of accounting retires; I've been warming the bench for years . This expression comes from such sports as baseball and football, and their standard practice of having substitute players sit on a bench in case they are needed in a game. [Slang; early 1900s]

bench

1. tv. to take someone out of a ball game. The coach benched Jim, who injured his arm.

2. tv. to retire someone; to withdraw someone from something. The manager benched the entire sales staff for cheating on their expense reports.

bench jockey

n. a player who sits on the bench and calls out advice. The coach told all the bench jockeys to shut up.

bench warmer

n. a ballplayer who spends most of the game on the bench waiting to play; a second-rate player. You’ll never be anything but a bench warmer.

grab some bench

tv. go to the bench, during a game. The coach told Freddy to go grab some bench.

take the bench

Law

1. To become a judge.

2. To preside in court: The judge took the bench to hear the plaintiff's motion.

Common Names:

Name	Pronounced	Usage
Tatianna	ta-tee-AN-ə, ta-TYAN-ə	English (Modern)
Bettina (2)	bet-TEE-nah	Italian
Pratik	-	Indian, Hindi, Marathi, Gujarati, Bengali
ÀNgel	-	Catalan
Charna	-	Yiddish
Alecia	ə-LIS-yə, ə-LIS-ee-ə, ə-LISH-ə, ə-LEE-shə	English