bonspieln.
/ˈbɒnspiːl/, /bɒnˈspiːl/, U.S. /ˈbɑnˌspil/, Scottish English /ˈbɔnspil/, /bɔnˈspil/, Canadian English /ˈbɒnspiːl/ Chiefly Scottish and Canadian.† 1. A match or contest in a particular sport, game, or other activity. Obsolete except in the specific uses at sense 2.
ΘΚΠ
society > leisure > sport > match or competition > [noun]
match1531
bonspiel1560
prize1565
main1589
traverse1599
seta1626
tournament1762
fixture1825
tourney1890
roundup1912
rodeo1927
go-around1933
start1949
1560 Extracts Rec. in W. Chambers Charters Burgh Peebles (1872) 262 James Wilsone and Stene Robesone maid ane bargane and bonspule on this maner.
c1570 J. Leslie Hist. Scotl. (1830) 238 Thair was gret bonespellis, matches and wedfeis betuix the Scottismen and the Inglismen in sindre gammes.
1861 Ayrshire Express 5 Oct. 4/4 To his munificence the golfers, the bowlers, and the curlers of Ayrshire are lastingly indebted..—the best of the bonspiels in all three games having been for prizes provided out of a purse that was ever open.
2. In specific sports: a competition or tournament, esp. one held between players from different clubs or districts.
a. In Curling. Cf. spiel n.1
ΘΚΠ
society > leisure > sport > types of sport or game > winter sports > curling > [noun] > match
bonspiela1772
spiel1824
a1772 J. Graeme Poems Several Occasions (1773) 39 Some hoary hero..tedious talks..of many a bonspeel gain'd, Against opposing parishes.
1829 W. Scott Guy Mannering (new ed.) II. iii. 32 He never..gave another glance at the Bonspiel, though there was the finest fun amang the curlers ever was seen.
1865 Times 22 Feb. 10/6 The grand ‘bonspiel’ of the Curling Club comes off tomorrow [in Quebec].
1933 E. S. Haldane Scotl. of our Fathers 355 The Royal Caledonian Curling Club, started in 1838, has since held Bonspiels when weather permits.
1963 Times 17 Jan. 12/5 The great bonspiel of the curling game was staged for only the second time in 37 years.
2016 Courier (Dundee) 6 Jan. (Perth & Perthshire ed.) 48/1 Curling... The 40th hosting of the bonspiel gets under way tomorrow.
b. In Bowling and Bowls.
ΘΚΠ
society > leisure > sport > match or competition > [noun] > types of
all comersc1450
after-gamea1500
fore-game1594
revenge1616
plate1639
set-to1743
return match1753
bye1754
scrub-race1791
anybody's game (also race, match)1826
return1834
barney1843
bonspiel1858
handicap1861
pennant1865
home-and-home1868
benefit match1871
run-off1873
international1877
American tournament1878
Grand Prix1879
single1884
friendly1885
all-comers1889
pair1890
championship1893
round robin1894
replay1895
Olympiad1896
junior varsity1902
lightning tournament1903
rematch1903
road trip1903
pickup1905
freestyle1906
marathon1908
test1908
Derby1909
scrimmage1910
eliminator1911
twosome1911
triala1914
quadrangular1916
slug-fest1916
varsity match1921
needle contest1922
curtain jerker1923
needle match1923
open1926
needle fight1927
knock-out1928
shirt1930
masters1933
pro-amateur1934
tune-up1934
World Cup1934
pro-am1937
state1941
sizzler1942
runathon1943
mismatch1954
run-out1955
match-up1959
squeaker1961
triple-header1961
Super Bowl1967
invitational1968
needle game1970
major1976
slobberknocker1986
1858 Glasgow Herald 2 Aug. 6/6 Bonspiel at Bowls.
1912 Bell Telephone News Apr. 22/4 The Interdepartmental Bowling League of the Chicago Plant held its second ‘Bonspiel’ February 27th at Bensinger's Randolph-Street Bowling Alleys.
1960 Winnipeg Free Press 22 Sept. 17/4 Winnipeg's first lawn bowling bonspiel was inaugurated on the green of the (old) Winnipeg courthouse.
2008 Prince George (Brit. Columbia) Citizen (Nexis) 20 Nov. (Sport section) 10 Germaine Bachand eyes up a shot during a carpet bowling bonspiel held at the Elder Citizen's Recreation Association.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, September 2018; most recently modified version published online December 2021).
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n.1560