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šThe rub of the green
#083
Jack Ellis
May 11, 2025
Sometimes you can do everything right.
You prepare.
You perform well.
You give it your best.
But despite your best efforts, you donāt succeed.
Not because you made a mistake.
Not because the other team was better.
But because things just didnāt go your way.
In other words - you didnāt get the rub of the green.
Originally from golf, where a bad bounce could ruin a perfect shot, the phrase is a reminder that luck plays a part in sport, whether we like it or not.
In elite sport there are fine margins, and the smallest stroke of luck can decide the outcome. Whether you win or lose.
There is always an element of luck. And sometimes itās not on your side.
Like when every referee decision goes against you, you might say:
āWe are not getting the rub of the greenā
You donāt alway need the rub of the green to win though.
Sometimes the better team simply wins.
They say that luck ābalances outā over the course of a season
This weekās three tips:
SOMETHING TO AVOID š«£
š¤¦š»āāļø āI didnāt want to tempt the luckā
You might think ātentar la suerteā, but you canāt translate it directly.
ā āI didnāt want to push my luckā
It would be more natural to say the above in English. Note that we use the possessive my luck, rather than the luck. Alternatively we could speak about tempting fate:
I donāt want to tempt fate. Iām not going to tell anyone until itās confirmed
SOMETHING TO SOUND CONFIDENT š§
š Business expressions
āA lucky breakā
A fortunate opportunity that changes your trajectory.
Her lucky break was landing that international client!
SOMETHING TO WATCH š
An inspiring story. Although he has a challenging accent.
NEXT STEP ā”ļø
LOOKING FOR MORE?š
Keep learning,
The Crystal Clear English Team
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