Each day during the 2014 World Cup the languagecaster team explains a key word or phrase for learners of English in our World Cup Language posts. Today, we focus on the phrase ‘pick up a caution‘. Why not try our World Cup Word Quiz, too, to see how well you know your football language!World Cup Phrase -A Pick Up a Caution
A caution is a warning. A referee can caution a player by speaking to them or by giving them a yellow card. To pick up means to get or to receive, so the verb phrase, to pick up a caution, means to be given a yellow card, to be shown a yellow card. You can also use the verb to pick up with an injury – to pick up an injury.
- Example: Thiago Silva picked up a caution on Brazil’s game against Columbia and is out of the semi final.
