Punt Means a Boat, a Kick and a Bet
A punt is a flat-bottomed boat. Separate punts are a kick in football and a wager.
A punt is a flat-bottomed boat pushed along with a pole, a kick of a dropped ball before it lands, and in British usage a bet or a speculative attempt. They are three separate words. The boat is Latin *ponto*, a flat-bottomed ferry. The kick is of uncertain origin, first recorded in rugby in the 1840s. The bet comes from French *ponter*, to lay a stake against the bank in card games, which is why a British *punter* is a gambler and, by extension, an ordinary customer. Punting on the Cam and the Cherwell is done from opposite ends, a point Oxford and Cambridge students dispute cheerfully.
- A flat-bottomed boat. *Punting on the river.*
- A kick. *A long punt.*
- A bet. *Having a punt.*
- Punter — a gambler or customer. *A punter.*
- Latin — *ponto*, a ferry. *The boat.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | punt | A punt. |
| Verb | punt | Punting. |
| Agent | punter | A punter. |
| Latin | ponto | A ferry. |
| French | ponter | To stake. |
- They went punting on the Cam.Boat.
- He punted the ball clear.Football.
- I had a punt on the race.Betting.
Punting: Oxford and Cambridge
- Cambridge style — punt from the open end, the till
- Oxford style — punt from inside the boat, standing on the deck
- Each city insists the other is doing it wrong
- The pole is pushed into the riverbed, not rowed
- Letting go of a stuck pole is the classic mistake
The boat is Old English *punt*, from Latin *ponto*, a flat-bottomed ferry. The kick is of uncertain origin. The bet is from French *ponter*.
Why is a customer called a punter?
From the betting sense. A punter laid stakes against the bank, and the word broadened to mean any paying customer.
Are the three punts related?
No. The boat, the kick and the bet come from three separate sources.