Bowling or bowling is a game that consists of trying to knock down the pins (sticks) with a ball.
More than a dozen meanings of the term bowling recognize the Royal Spanish Academy ( RAE ) in its dictionary. The concept can come from ball or bowl , depending on the context.
In this sense, it must be noted that a ball is a body that has a spherical shape . Bol , on the other hand, has several meanings, although in this framework it is linked to a type of fishing net .
Bowling as a game
One of the most common uses of the notion of bowling refers to the game known in English as bowling . The objective is to knock down as many bowling pins (long pieces that rest on the ground) as possible by throwing a ball.
It is estimated that the origins of bowling date back to 2,000 BC . In Ancient Egypt there was already entertainment of this style, as well as in the Roman Empire .
However, the current form of bowling is much closer. Only at the end of the 19th century , in the United States , the first regulations were created.
In some countries, the nightclub or discotheque is called bowling.
General characteristics of the activity
Generally, in a bowling game each player has ten throws or games. Each throw, in turn, consists of two or three throws of the ball towards the pins (which are ten and are located at a distance of between five and ten meters from the player depending on the category).
If the player knocks down all ten pins on the first throw, he gets a strike , also called chuza or plenary , achieving the maximum score . In that case, he does not roll again on that roll.
The winner of the game is the one who scores the most points , which are achieved according to the number of pins knocked down in all the games. It is interesting to note that, although many people play bowling amateurs for fun, there are also professional players.
The boliche, balero or emboque
It should be noted that there is another game that, in Spain , is called bowling: that which consists of inserting a ball with holes in a stick, to which it is attached by a rope. This pastime is called emboque , balero , perinola , coca or capirucho in other regions.
Bowling, in this case, is a classic children's entertainment. It takes skill to ensure that when you move your hand so that the ball is ejected upward, then it falls so that the club enters the hole .
A nightclub or a gastronomic establishment
In countries such as Uruguay , Bolivia , Argentina and Paraguay , a boliche is a discotheque or nightclub . People go to these places to drink and dance, looking for entertainment and socialization.
The usual thing is that in a bowling alley there is a DJ ( disc jockey ) who plays recorded music , mixing songs. In certain cases, live artists may perform.
A bowling alley, finally, can be a bar or a restaurant with simple characteristics. In South America , low-category establishments or those whose menus offer few options and little complexity are usually mentioned in this way.