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change of pace

noun
  1. 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.
  2. 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.

Origin of change of pace

First recorded in 1935–40
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
British Dictionary definitions for change up

change up

verb
  1. (intr, adverb) to select a higher gear when driving
noun change-up
  1. 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.