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Uncle Charlie

American  
[uhng-kuhl chahr-lee] / ˈʌŋ kəl ˈtʃɑr li /

noun

Baseball Slang.
  1. curveball.

    When this guy delivers his Uncle Charlie, there’s not a left-handed hitter in the league who can get on base.


Etymology

Origin of Uncle Charlie

First recorded in 1930–35; origin uncertain


Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

Bruno is a psychological relative of Uncle Charlie in “Shadow of a Doubt,” and of Brandon in “Rope.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 10, 2026

A 2021 film version of The Tender Bar produced by Mr Clooney cast Affleck as the aforementioned Uncle Charlie.

From BBC ● Jan. 9, 2023

At its center is Ben Affleck, as J.R.’s beloved Uncle Charlie, a literature-loving bartender who acts as a father figure to the boy.

From Seattle Times ● Dec. 22, 2021

Casting his friend Affleck as the larger-than-life Uncle Charlie was a no-brainer, said Clooney.

From Reuters ● Oct. 11, 2021

Uncle Morris and Uncle Charlie stood in the corner shouting information about what to do next, even though they didn't have televisions themselves.

From "March Forward, Girl" by Melba Pattillo Beals

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