hammy

English

Pronunciation

• Audio (General Australian):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -æmi

Etymology 1

From ham +‎ -y.

Adjective

hammy (comparative hammier, superlative hammiest)

1. Resembling or characteristic of ham.
   • 2011 December 18, Jay Rayner, “Restaurant review: Aurelia”, in The Observer‎^[1], →ISSN:

     Then again this is Mayfair. A big, rustling bowl of deep-fried squid with a salty chilli kick cost £7.50; a generous pile of jamon croquetas, the shells giving way to something creamy and intensely hammy within, was 50p less.

2. (figurative) Amateurish; characterized by overacting.
   • 2013 April 4, Hannibal, season 1, episode 1:

     Jack Crawford: I’m Special Agent Jack Crawford. I lead the Behavioral Science Unit.
     Will Graham: We’ve met.
     Jack Crawford: Yes, we had a disagreement about the museum when we opened it.
     Will Graham: I disagreed with what you named it.
     Jack Crawford: The Evil Minds Research Museum?
     Will Graham: It’s a little hammy, Jack.

   • 2021 March 1, Carol Midgley, “McDonald & Dodds review – cheerful escapism and filth-free distraction”, in The Times‎^[2]:

     McDonald & Dodds is back, with episode one so deliberately hammy and meta that, technically, it should have been a complete horlicks. In one scene, when they were all hanging on to the balloon ropes, Mr Bean-like, to stop Jason Watkins flying away, it sort of was.

Derived terms

• hammily
• hamminess

Translations

resembling ham

• Czech: šunkový (cs)
• Polish: szynkowy (pl)

amateurish; characterized by overacting

• French: cabotin (fr)
• German: übertrieben (de), überdreht (de)
• Polish: przesadny (pl)

Noun

hammy (plural hammies)

1. (US, Australia, New Zealand, chiefly sports, slang) The hamstring.
   • 1999, Melissa Lucashenko, Hard Yards, University of Queensland Press, page 129:

     He put his palms flat on the ground, then grabbed the back of his knees, stretching his hammies for the millionth time that morning.

   • 2003, John Capouya, Real Men Do Yoga: 21 Star Athletes Reveal Their Secrets for Strength, Flexibility and Peak Performance‎^[3], page 150:

     “A move like this would have been inpossible for me before yoga,” he said. “Flexibilty-wise, I was struggling. My hammies were tight, my groin was tight. My hips have really benefited.”

   • 2003 June 10, Andrew Swan, “Good complementary exercise to cycling?”, in aus.bicycle (Usenet):

     I've noticed that although cycling keeps me reasonably "cardio fit", I am losing general flexibility, e.g. when touching my toes. This is despite me stretching my quads, calves, and hammies during and after my training rides.

   • 2004, J. L. Roberts, Braggin' Rights: Fantasy Football Rewind 2004 (2003 Season Recap), AuthorHouse USA, page 83,

     A slow start and hammy injury were major contributors.

2. (US, Australia, New Zealand, chiefly sports, slang) A hamstring injury.
   • 2000, Mark B. Andersen, Doing Sport Psychology‎^[4], page 96:

     A: I′m only just getting fully fit now after that hammy [hamstring tear].

   • 2009 March 26, Phil, “So Cousins does a hammy”, in aus.sport.aussie-rules (Usenet):

     Why he went back on after 3/4 time is beyond me. If he was trying to prove a point he has all season to do that not do your hammy in the first game.

Alternative forms

• hammie

Translations

hamstring injury

Etymology 2

From hamster +‎ -y.

Noun

hammy (plural hammies)

1. (informal, childish) A hamster.

Alternative forms

• hammie

Translations

(childish) hamster