QUOTE : She was being stubborn, so I told her that the ball was in her court—which is an idiom that comes from tennis, although some crazy people think it comes from badminton. Of course, this assertion is completely false, because it would be the shuttlecock is in your court, not the ball is in your court.” Quinn’s eyes held mine, but his face seemed meticulously expressionless when he said, “Why is it called a shuttlecock?” “Excellent question—I’m glad you asked. The word refers to the forward and backward movement it makes during the game: it was named after the shuttle of a loom.” “And the cock part?” My eyes narrowed on him and—by the power of Thor!—I could feel my neck heat. This was entrapment. I cleared my throat and looked away, picking a piece of lint from my jeans before responding. “It has feathers on it.” “Oh. So it wasn’t named after the forward and backward movement of….” “No! No it was not.