Football Language: A big ask
The noun phrase ‘a big ask’ has become popular in many sports in recent times and means that something is very difficult to do. So, for example in football if a team are losing by 2 or 3 goals in a game it is a big ask for them to come back and win the match. Sometimes the phrase is used when a team in a low position in the league – and not playing very well – faces a stronger team in a higher position and we use this phrase ‘It’s a big ask for the non-league side to try and win away at Liverpool’. A big ask.- Example: It was a big ask for bottom side Sunderland to try and defeat league leaders Chelsea and sure enough they lost 0-2.
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