bench jockey

English

Etymology

As verbal jousting is frequently called "riding", the "rider" sitting on a bench came to be known as the "bench jockey".

Pronunciation

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Noun

bench jockey (plural bench jockeys)

1. (US, idiomatic, slang, baseball) A player, coach or manager who verbally annoys and distracts opposition players and umpires from his team's dugout bench.