'Doing A Leicester'

When football impacts on language...

Leicester City’s success has had such a powerful impact that it’s inspired the use of a new verb in the English language.  To ‘do a Leicester’…

The English Dictionary, Montgomery-Smythe Publishing Associates 2017 Edition:

Leicester
verb
1. To ‘do a Leicester’.  To enter a competition or contest as an underdog thought to have little or no chance of winning, and yet achieve unexpected or astonishing success.
Example: ‘I hope we can do a Leicester next season.’  Antonym: To ‘do a Chelsea’.
2. To make an impossible dream come true.

. . . . . . . .

Here are a few examples…

Sporting headlines:

“Former Huddersfield Town man out to ‘do a Leicester’.”

“James McCarthy urges Scotland to ‘do a Leicester’.”

“Gareth Bale can help Wales pull off a ‘Leicester’, insists defender Ben Davies.”

“Bookies slash Boro title odds over fears they may ‘do a Leicester’.”

“Can Dorchester FC ‘do a Leicester’ this year?”

“Eurovision’s Nicky Byrne: Maybe Ireland can ‘do a Leicester’.”

“Lazaridis backs Perth to ‘do a Leicester’ and achieve A-League Glory.”

“Amir Khan hoping to ‘do a Leicester’ on Alvarez.”

“Will Rainhill ‘do a Leicester’ and claim Premier League glory.”

“Sam Allardyce responds when asked whether Sunderland could ‘do a Leicester’.”


Quotes:

Jonny Walton (British rower): “I’m crossing my fingers to ‘do a Leicester’ at the Olympics.”

Zac Goldsmith: “I’m hoping to do a Leicester City here.”

The Dean of Leicester Cathedral: “I’ll be praying for Northern Ireland to ‘do a Leicester’ in the Euros.”

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