Despite the fact that the Russian language is one of the richest in the world in terms of its vocabulary, it has many borrowed words. Since each language is not just a set of specific lexical units, but a constantly developing organism, it is replenished with new concepts as new phenomena are introduced into our life.
And when these innovations come from other countries, new words come along with them. An example is the foreign word handicap - what is it? A detailed answer to the question is given in this article.
Hand in a cap
That this is a handicap, and what is its origin, can be found in the explanatory dictionaries. They say that this word came to us from the English language and literally means "hand in a cap." In 1960, there was a game in England with the name in which players who were obviously unequal in strength participated.
Later, the word “handicap” was formed, which was already written together and meant a head start, that is, the initial provision of one or another advantage in order to give people the opportunity to compete with different capabilities. This word has several, although quite close to each other, meanings and is used in different areas. For example, in sports, betting, biology, medicine, politics, psychology and business.
Handicap in sports competition
First, consider what handicap means in sports.
- Horse racing with this name. Horses of different ages and unequal virtues (for example, endurance, playfulness) take part in such races - hence the name. There is also a remote handicap, assuming different run lengths for different athletes. A weight variety is also practiced when the load is added to the horses.
- Gundersen system, where the leader is determined by time. The leader indicator is subtracted from the indicator of each participant, at the next stages the athletes are released after him after the time received. The difference in time of the end of the stage is equal to the absolute difference of all stages. It is applied in biathlon, cross-country skiing.
- Using the numerical qualification indicator of a participant in golf. It makes it possible to compete athletes with different levels of training.
- Correction of the results of the regatta in sailing, which takes into account the size of the yachts. This is done in order to determine the skill level of yachtsmen who go the distance on ships with different driving characteristics.
- In wrestling (a sports show with theatricalization elements, which is a combination of struggle and work for the public), matches are practiced with teams with an unequal number of participants, for example, two against three.
In politics, psychology, medicine
Knowing that a handicap is the provision of handicap, its use in other areas is interesting. Here, this concept means an artificially understood understanding of a person’s condition, due to a set of a number of his physical, mental sides, social qualities or processes that greatly complicate or even exclude adaptation in society, in the profession, in politics.
This concept is closely related to the concept of “handicapism”, which means the presence in the society of prejudice towards the above persons, which is a rather dangerous phenomenon. After all, it, in fact, is a kind of other prejudices - racial, national, gender.
What is wrong with the peacock?
In biology, there is the principle of handicap. What it is? In simple words, there is a theory according to which information about the genes of the male can be expressed through signs that are harmful to his survival. The theory was created in 1975 by the Israeli evolutionary biologist Amots Zahavi.
A striking example is the peacock tail, having which it is difficult to escape from the predator, and the tail is visible from afar. Therefore, there is an assumption that only a male with good genes can survive with such “hindrances” to the breeding stage. This theory has both supporters and opponents.
European handicap - what is it?
We consider the principle of providing benefits in the presence of unequal players is actively used in bookmakers. It has two main varieties - European and Asian. First, consider the first.
A European type handicap is indicated by two numbers in brackets, for example, (1: 0). Here, it is understood that the match seemed to have started with a score of one-zero in favor of team A. One of the players, given the specified head start, put Team B to the victory “clean”.
In order to win, team B needs to win by a margin of two points, if the advantage is only one goal, this will not be enough. After all, then a virtual draw will turn out, and the bet was made only on victory. Thus, the victory of team A or a draw does not suit the player, he will lose the bet.
A variation of the European handicap
A variation of the European system is a triple handicap - what is this option? It is a betting in accordance with the three types of outcome of the competition.
Namely:
- Victory team number 1.
- The victory of team number 2.
- The match will end in a draw.
At the same time, the bookmaker offers an initial score of the match. The main feature of this kind of handicap is the inability to return the bet for any development. And it also allows you to make bets with an additional condition, which makes it difficult to guess the result. When equal opponents fight, this option is not profitable, but if the forces are clearly different, there is a good chance of increasing the odds in the absence of increasing risk.
Asian handicap 0 - what is it?
The Asian system, in contrast to the European one, is more complex, since it involves rates with fractional numbers, for example, 0.25; 0.5; 1,5. They make it possible to get odds in the quarter, half and a half goals, respectively.
Another difference is the possibility of providing a zero handicap. Its other name is “Draw. No bets. " Let’s explain on the example of the game of two teams - “Green T-shirt” and “White boots”. If a zero bet is placed on the Green T-shirt team, then it will win if this team wins. If the players draw, the bet will be refunded. If the White Boots win, the bet will be lost.