What it means
Means something’s unfair, sneaky, or just not playing by the rules. It leans on cricket’s old reputation for gentlemanly ‘fair play’, so calling something ‘not cricket’ is a tidy way to say it’s bang out of order. Often sounds a bit old-school or tongue-in-cheek, but it still lands when someone’s being shady.
Usage examples
"You can’t nick my chips and then deny it, mate. That’s not cricket. Own it, or I’m telling the lads and you’re buying the next round."
"Reading someone's private messages? That is just not cricket."
"Changing the rules halfway through to suit yourself is not cricket, mate."
"Leaving my name off the group gift after I chipped in is not cricket, mate."
"You knew the answer and kept quiet till the last second? Bit not cricket, that."
Where it comes from
It comes from British public school and cricket culture, where cricket got held up as the gold-standard game of fair play and proper conduct. By the late 1800s, saying something was not cricket meant it was ungentlemanly, underhand, or just poor form. These days it still sounds knowingly old-school and a bit wry.
Other ways to say it
Editors of this term
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