Spursy

English

Etymology

From Spurs +‎ -y. Tottenham Hotspur consistently finish near the top of the Premier League but have won no trophies in recent years.

Adjective

Spursy (comparative more Spursy, superlative most Spursy)

1. (UK, sports, humorous) Having a promising team, but losing in an embarrassing way.
   • 2018 May 15, Roger Bennett, Michael Davies, Men in Blazers Present Encyclopedia Blazertannica: A Suboptimal Guide to Soccer, America's "Sport of the Future" Since 1972, Knopf, →ISBN, page 27:

     In the 1978-79 season, Chelsea, who had come up the year before, finished dead last in the first division and were relegated again. But no worries, I still had my Robins in the top flight. But then they did something more Spursy than anything the Spurs could ever dream of. They were relegated in successive seasons between 1980 and 1982 […]

   • 2024 January 30, Pete May, Massive: The Miracle of Prague, Biteback Publishing, →ISBN:

     Rice has a solid tournament for England. He is excellent in the quarter-final against France, until it all goes a bit Spursy for Harry Kane who uncharacteristically misses a penalty in the 2-1 defeat.

   • 2024 March 26, Joe Brophy, quoting Jermaine Pennant, “Gareth Southgate’s record and ‘Spursy’ England worry me – we may have to play Italy, France and Spain to win Euros”, in talkSPORT‎^[1]:

     Then came the hammer blow as Pennant stated: "England are Spursy."