three blind mice

The Hater says the refs for the UT-Vandy game called "ticky-tack" fouls. He says these are the fouls that you only have to look like you're going to foul to get called out on it.

At first he was angry with the refs, but after Bruce flipped out and got a technical, he says they started calling "ticky tack" fouls both ways.

I admit that I know more football jargon than basketball jargon. I've never officially played either (unless you count backyard football or one year of youth center basketball league, which I don't), but I've seen lots of both games from the bleachers in the band section. With that said, I've never heard of "ticky-tack" anything related to sports. There was a song (*) I vaguely remember that mentioned "ticky-tack" houses "that all looked the same", but other than that, I'll have to defer to the house-builders and sports-players in the family to report on the details.

Have I missed something after more than 8 years in the bleachers? According to the online Webster dictionary "ticky-tack" is a reduplication of "tacky", a variant of "ticky-tacky". ("Tacky" I know all too well.) Websters says it's "sleazy or shoddy material used especially in the construction of look-alike tract houses, also; something built of ticky-tacky." Well that certainly clears things up.

My husband is making up his own words, which is fine with me. I totally support his creative license to make his own words up whenever he wants; I just need to know their meaning when it comes up. Words like "decevious" (mischievous + deceptive) or "trampeded" (to be stampeded and trampled) - these are words I can roll with because there's a hint of logic to them, but "ticky-tack" sounds to me more like the noise your shoe makes when you get a rock stuck in between the tread. I am all for making up your own words, manipulating the language to suit your needs -- like I said, I just need cues and roadmaps when this happens.

Or you can avoid words altogether. Many Americans choose one-handed sign-language to express their discontent. In band we were usually a little more passive with showing how we were displeased with the refs -- by playing a well-known tune that's the same as this post title.... or we yelled at them like everyone else.

Back to the game, and the refs who started making ticky-tack calls on both sides... Our boys sure did look tired. They may have lost, but they certainly weren't trampeded.

* Song: "Little Houses" by Malvina Reynolds, Pete Seeger (chords E, A, B7 - which looks like something I could actually play - maybe I should add that one to my repertoire.
* FYI: "Three Blind Mice" guitar chords: C, G, G7