(UK, football, humorous, informal) Having a promising team, but losing in an embarrassing way.
That's a very Spursy list, which bodes interestingly for Chelsea fans
Photograph: Geoff Caddick/AFP/Getty Images This article is more than **10 years old** # Why Tottenham may be the least ‘Spursy’ team in recent Spurs history This article is more than 10 years old Profitable, settled,…
(UK, football, humorous, informal) Having a promising team, but losing in an embarrassing way.
"Spursy" means having a promising team, but losing in an embarrassing way. It is one of many casual words teens pick up from friends, social media, music or sport, and on its own it carries no particular warning. If you hear your teen use it, it is fair to ask what they mean by it in their friend group, since meanings drift quickly. Asking out of curiosity rather than alarm tends to keep the conversation open and useful.
"Spursy" means having a promising team, but losing in an embarrassing way. It is one of many casual words teens pick up from friends, social media, music or sport, and on its own it carries no particular warning. If you hear your teen use it, it is fair to ask what they mean by it in their friend group, since meanings drift quickly. Asking out of curiosity rather than alarm tends to keep the conversation open and useful.
Slang is read by different audiences for very different reasons. The For parents view re-explains the term in plain, non-judgemental language so a caregiver can understand what their child means without needing the surrounding subculture. The For English learners view focuses on register (when it's safe to use), formal alternatives, and common mistakes — what a textbook won't teach you.
Add your own interpretation of "Spursy".
UK and Irish slang — Cockney, Scouse, Geordie, Yorkshire, Glaswegian, Brummie, Welsh, West Country, plus Irish English. Centuries of regional dialects feeding into modern British and Irish street talk.
See all British & Irish slang slang on Slangora.
Browse all slang words starting with S.
Somehow both really good and really bad." 'Spursy' has become shorthand to describe [Tottenham](https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/teams/tottenham-hotspur)'s wildly inconsistent form, an ability to snatch draws or def…
"Spursy" is informal English meaning having a promising team, but losing in an embarrassing way. It is mainly heard in British English (and Irish English). A more formal or neutral equivalent would be something like "having a promising team" expressed in standard vocabulary. A common mistake is to assume "Spursy" can replace its standard equivalent in every register; keep it for spoken or casual situations and use the formal form in writing. If you are a B2 or C1 learner, it is useful to recognise this word when you hear or read it, but think carefully about whether the situation really calls for it before using it yourself.
“That's a very Spursy list, which bodes interestingly for Chelsea fans”
“Photograph: Geoff Caddick/AFP/Getty Images This article is more than **10 years old** # Why Tottenham may be the least ‘Spursy’ team in recent Spurs history This article is more than 10 years old Profitable, settled, fourth in the league – let’s face it this wasn’t really supposed to happen at all.”
“Somehow both really good and really bad." 'Spursy' has become shorthand to describe [Tottenham](https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/teams/tottenham-hotspur)'s wildly inconsistent form, an ability to snatch draws or defeats from the jaws of victory, and put their supporters through the wringer.”
“146. [↑](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tottenham_Hotspur_F.C._supporters#cite_ref-146)["Spursy!”
No comments yet — say something.
(UK, slang) Pertaining to or like spunk (semen).