LOS ANGELES -- Chick Hearn, the Lakers' legendary play-by-play announcer, was credited with creating or popularizing some of basketball's most popular expressions. Here are a few:
''Slam dunk!'' Shouted as Laker stars Wilt Chamberlain, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Shaquille O'Neal and others stuffed the ball from above the rim.
''Air ball'' and ''It didn't draw iron.'' Used to describe badly missed shots.
''Too much mustard on the hot dog,'' describing a player trying to be too fancy or spectacular.
''The mustard's off the hot dog,'' describing a blown showboating play, such as a missed slam dunk.
''No harm, no foul,'' for minor contact in what is ostensibly a non-contact sport.
''Ticky-tacky foul,'' when a referee calls a foul for minor, incidental contact.
''Caught with his hand in the cookie jar,'' for a player who commits a deliberate foul and is caught by the referees.
''He faked him into the popcorn machine'' For a defender badly faked out on a play.
''You can put this one in the refrigerator. The door's closed, the light's out, the eggs are cooling, the butter's getting hard and the Jell-O is jiggling.'' Said in the final minutes of a game, Hearn's way of saying there was no chance the team behind could mount a winning rally.
-- The Associated Press