throw (someone) a googly



throw (someone) a googly

To present (someone with) a question, situation, or piece of information that is surprising or unexpected. Taken from cricket, in which a "googly" is a ball thrown counter to that which the batsman expects. Primarily heard in UK. Dave really threw me a googly when he asked if I'd like to go on a date with him. The manager decided to throw a googly by letting his staff have Friday off.
See also: googly, throw

Common Names:

NameGenderPronouncedUsage
Deniecedə-NEESEnglish (Rare)
Bert[bə:t]
NiklasNIK-lahs (Swedish), NEEK-lahs (Finnish)Swedish, Finnish, Danish, Norwegian, German
Dugan['du:gən]
AukustiOW-koos-teeFinnish
Svanhildur-Icelandic