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change of pace

noun

a temporary shift or variation in a normal routine or regular pattern of activity: Reading a mystery novel has been a real change of pace for me.
Also called change-up [cheynj-uhp] /ˈtʃeɪndʒˌʌp/. Baseball. a ball that is thrown by a pitcher with the same motion as for a fastball but that travels with less speed, making the pitch more difficult for the batter to time.

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Origin of change of pace

First recorded in 1935–40
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
British Dictionary definitions for change up

change up

verb

(intr, adverb) to select a higher gear when driving

noun change-up

baseball an unexpectedly slow ball thrown in order to surprise the batter
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Idioms and Phrases with change up

change of pace

A shift in normal routine, a variation in usual activities or pattern, as in She's smiling in that one photo, just for a change of pace, or After six hours at my desk I need a change of pace, so I'm going for a swim. This term originated in a number of sports where strategy can involve altering the speed of, for example, a pitched or struck ball or a horse's gait. By the mid-1900s it was being transferred to other enterprises.

The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.