Hail Mary

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Etymology

In American football, a "Hail Mary" is a long, hopeful forward pass thrown as time runs out. Quarterback Roger Staubach popularized the term after a 1975 game, saying he closed his eyes and recited a Hail Mary — the Catholic prayer — as he threw. It now names any desperate final effort against long odds.

  1. noun phrase · /HAYL MAIR-ee/

    A desperate, low-odds attempt made when nothing ordinary can still work.

    What it names

    The last-ditch gamble — the throw you make only because you have nothing left to lose.

    Example

    Cutting prices in half was a hail-mary to save the store before the lease ran out.

    Related idea

    A hail mary is a desperate long shot with nothing left to lose, whereas a gambit is a calculated sacrifice made from a position of strength.

See also

ClutchCurveballLong shotSlam dunk