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Sporting Definitions

down to the wire: used in situations where the outcome may not be decided until the very last moment. From early race horse events where a wire was placed across the finish line.
hat trick: a description of three things happening in a row, such as three wickets in three balls in cricket or three goals in a game in soccer. The word derived from the sport of cricket, where there was once the practice of awarding a hat to a bowler who dismissed three batsmen with three successive balls.
wild card: such as in tennis when a player is allowed to enter the tournament without having to fulfill the qualifying requirements.
wire to wire: meaning from start to finish, as in he led the race wire to wire. The term derives from early horse racing events where a wire was placed across the start and finish line.