bench warmer

An athlete who does not get much playing time (usually because they are not very good or skilled). I'm just a bench warmer, so you won't see me out on the court much. Yeah, I don't think he's a bench warmer. Look at all these awards he's won for the school! He's not very coordinated. To be honest, I don't know that I would even keep him as a bench warmer.

bench warmer

n. a ballplayer who spends most of the game on the bench waiting to play; a second-rate player. You’ll never be anything but a bench warmer.

benchwarmer

A person who is seldom or never active in an enterprise. Derived from the sports meaning of a player who rarely or never takes part in a game but is relegated to sitting on the bench, the term, which dates from the early 1900s, was almost immediately transferred to other circumstances. The sports meaning appeared in a 2006 film, The Benchwarmers, about three not very competent ballplayers.

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References in periodicals archive

The strain on their wage bill was difficult to justify when he was a first-team regular - as a benchwarmer it's foolish.

Mesut Euzil facing career crossroads at Arsenal

The back four are very good but need Pritchard in the team for a good run - PS12m for a benchwarmer is crazy to my mind.

GAME ON What the fans [...]

The 23-year-old refused to feel frustrated after being a benchwarmer last season, with Tomas Cerny in firm control as Jags' No.1.

Scully I can be No.1 hit

Brunton's HeatSync BenchWarmer, r PS49.50, from alloutdoor.co.uk LIKE the idea of going out hiking but put off by cold weather?

HIKING AIDS GADGETS

This time Scottsdale and Glendale will still fill big roles, but Phoenix won't be a benchwarmer. And its thriving light-rail line and new bike-sharing program make it easy for football fans to explore the city.

Phoenix in the Super Bowl spotlight

Skipper Sam Warburton's serious shoulder injury has opened the door for Tipuric this summer and the Ospreys star plans to make the most of his opportunity following a disappointing championship when he was a regular benchwarmer.

Ospreys' Tipuric left frustrated by limited action for Wales

In "Recollection of a High School Benchwarmer," the author focuses on the camaraderie of a group of benchwarmers, their longings to play in the game, and the activities (makeshift bowling) they engage in as they wait.

Robert Paul Moreira, ed. Arriba Baseball!: A Collection of Latino/a Baseball Fiction. Donna TX: Vao Publishing, 2013. 224pp. Paper, $11.99

Until now, a year since Lin out of nowhere burst into the spotlight in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as an unlikely benchwarmer turned hero for the New York Knicks, the hoopla surrounding "Linsanity" is still being felt strongly here in the Philippines.

'Linsanity' hits Manila

Then another benchwarmer, Danny Ward, pounced three minutes into added time to seal it.

Boro are rocked by late winner

Bent's lack of recognition stems back to his Tottenham days when he was a benchwarmer for long periods despite a decent goals tally.

BENT: I HAVE EURO GOAL; Villa star looks to defy the doubters

As a former stand-out (benchwarmer) on a high school (junior varsity) football team in Texas, I welcome the news of the West Coast's inaugural "Bagel Bowl," allegedly the first match-up of Jewish high school football teams on America's traditional weak side formation.

A Bagel Bowl with Everything

He casually made his way toward the visiting Kansas City Kings bench and grabbed the warm-up suit of a Kings benchwarmer in the final minutes of the team's rout of the lowly Pistons.

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