To Call An Audible | WordReference Forums

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You are using an out of date browser. It may not display this or other websites correctly.You should upgrade or use an alternative browser. to call an audible

• Thread starter Thread starter inoy15
• Start date Start date Apr 23, 2016

I

inoy15

Senior Member

Russia - Russian Hello. Does “to call an audible” mean “to change plans suddenly in order to adapt to present circumstances”? Thank you in advance.

Copyright

Member Emeritus

Penang American English Please give us the sentence and tell us the situation. Thank you. I

inoy15

Senior Member

Russia - Russian - I had to always call an audible every time we robbed a bank - OK. You're right. If we'd stuck to the plan we would have gotten caught. I just made up the above. G

Glenfarclas

Senior Member

Chicago English (American)

inoy15 said: Hello. Does “to call an audible” mean “to change plans suddenly in order to adapt to present circumstances”? Thank you in advance. Click to expand...

Yes, that's essentially what it means. I'd suggest, however, as a general rule that you don't try to use metaphors from sports you're not familiar with.

dojibear

Senior Member

Fresno CA English (US - northeast) In football, before every play, the offense team forms a small group called a "huddle", where the quarterback tells them what the next play is. There are dozens of plays, and all team members have studied them, memorized them and practiced them. After they leave the huddle and are lined up (moments away from starting the play) the quarterback may see a major problem (the defense, by luck, is in a position that will make this play fail). So he "calls" (yells: the players are far away now) a change in plans. That is "calling an audible" in football. This is rarely used outside of football. Non-football-fans will not understand it at all. Mostly it is used in movies, where it makes the speaker sound cool. And it only makes sense when there already was a plan (as in football) and it is being changed at the last second. I

inoy15

Senior Member

Russia - Russian Thank you all. Now it's absolutely clear.

emre aydın

Senior Member

Turkish A famous singer flying a football player to South Beach on her private jet. Footballer: I was in Miami last week. Singer: Yeah. Any good excuse for not calling audibles? Footballer: Okay. I give up. Singer: Oh, it'll be fun. A friend of mine can get us into the balcony. (I guess it may be a nightclub) (Nashville) What does she mean by "any good excuse for not calling audibles?" ? I looked it up: "An audible occurs when the quarterback of a football team scans the formation of the defense of the opposing team and sees something he doesn't like about it -- at this point, he'll yell to his own team, and his own team will switch formations to counter the defense." But it still hasn't made much sense to me. Does she mean he's going to be very tired after a night out to notice the moments in the game that he should call the audibles? Thanks for your help.

Packard

Senior Member

USA, English

dojibear said: In football, before every play, the offense team forms a small group called a "huddle", where the quarterback tells them what the next play is. There are dozens of plays, and all team members have studied them, memorized them and practiced them. After they leave the huddle and are lined up (moments away from starting the play) the quarterback may see a major problem (the defense, by luck, is in a position that will make this play fail). So he "calls" (yells: the players are far away now) a change in plans. That is "calling an audible" in football. This is rarely used outside of football. Non-football-fans will not understand it at all. Mostly it is used in movies, where it makes the speaker sound cool. And it only makes sense when there already was a plan (as in football) and it is being changed at the last second. Click to expand...

I agree. I would add that I think a large swath of the US population would understand the phrase, but I would only expect an ex-football player (at any level from grade school to professional) would actually use the phrase. And it seems to get a lot of play on TV and in movies.

kentix

Senior Member

English - U.S.

emre aydın said: What does she mean by "any good excuse for not calling audibles?" ? Click to expand...

That's very mysterious. I don't understand it. Or the next line.

Loob

Senior Member

English UK

emre aydın said: A famous singer flying a football player to South Beach on her private jet. Footballer: I was in Miami last week. Singer: Yeah. Any good excuse for not calling audibles? Footballer: Okay. I give up. Singer: Oh, it'll be fun. A friend of mine can get us into the balcony. (I guess it may be a nightclub) (Nashville) What does she mean by "any good excuse for not calling audibles?" ? Click to expand...

I suspect the answer may have something to do with why the footballer says "I was in Miami last week". Maybe he's reluctant to go to Miami because he was there recently? And maybe she's suggesting he ought to be flexible?

kentix

Senior Member

English - U.S. I've thought real hard about it and here's a possible explanation. She's criticizing his play on the football field: Player*: I was in Miami last week. (Very likely playing a game in Miami.) Singer: Yeah. Any good excuse for not calling audibles? (He probably lost the game because he didn't adapt and call audibles on plays he should have. And she knew it and was needling him about it.) Player: Okay. I give up. (She had been trying to convince him to go along with her plans [see below]. Out of good-natured shame and embarrassment after her criticism, he gave in to her.) Singer: Oh, it'll be fun. A friend of mine can get us into the Balcony. (I guess it may be a nightclub. I believe it is. If you read more of the transcript it sounds like she's a party girl and that's not his lifestyle.) So I think this is a somewhat unexpected case where "calling audibles" is actually used in its literal sense and not its figurative sense. (* In the U.S., football players are not footballers)

emre aydın

Senior Member

Turkish

kentix said: I've thought real hard about it and here's a possible explanation. She's criticizing his play on the football field: Player*: I was in Miami last week. (Very likely playing a game in Miami.) Singer: Yeah. Any good excuse for not calling audibles? (He probably lost the game because he didn't adapt and call audibles on plays he should have. And she knew it and was needling him about it.) Player: Okay. I give up. (She had been trying to convince him to go along with her plans [see below]. Out of good-natured shame and embarrassment after her criticism, he gave in to her.) Singer: Oh, it'll be fun. A friend of mine can get us into the Balcony. (I guess it may be a nightclub. I believe it is. If you read more of the transcript it sounds like she's a party girl and that's not his lifestyle.) So I think this is a somewhat unexpected case where "calling audibles" is actually used in its literal sense and not its figurative sense. (* In the U.S., football players are not footballers) Click to expand...

Thank you kentix. So you say she's referring to the past. But then the player saying "okay, I give up" didn't make sense to me. So I thought she might be referring to the future. But I think you are right.

kentix

Senior Member

English - U.S. Yes, I think he was telling her "no" in the past but finally said "yes". Once he did agree, then it was about the future. They both use will (but his is unspoken). Okay. I give up on saying "no". I will go with you. Singer: Oh, it'll be fun. (Oh, it will be fun.) You must log in or register to reply here. Share: Bluesky LinkedIn WhatsApp Email Share Link

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