A miniature baseball diamond with a tiny open gate and turnstile on a sand-colored surface.

Original artwork, not a still

Principal McGee

If you can’t be an athlete, be an athletic supporter.

— Grease · 1978

Behind the line

What it means

Our interpretation.

The line first sounds like advice to support athletes if one cannot compete. Its joke turns on “athletic supporter,” which also names a garment worn for physical support during sport. The double meaning changes a reassuring suggestion into a cheeky play on words.

Context reviewed

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