Definition

1. Noun:
   • A player who kicks the football: In sports like American football or soccer, a "kicker" is a player whose primary role is to kick the ball, especially for scoring field goals, extra points, or kickoffs.
   • A surprising or unexpected ending or condition: Informally, a "kicker" can refer to an unforeseen twist, stipulation, or drawback in a situation, plan, or story.
   • A complaining or argumentative person: (Informal, dated) A person who habitually complains, argues, or causes a fuss.

Examples of Usage

• Noun (Sports):
  • The team's kicker scored the winning field goal in the final seconds.
  • He is the most accurate kicker in the league.
• Noun (Unexpected Element):
  • The deal seemed perfect, but the kicker was the huge monthly fee.
  • Here's the kicker: she already knew the answer all along.
• Noun (Complainer):
  • Don't be such a kicker; we all have to follow the same rules. (This usage is less common today.)

Advanced Usage

• "And here's the kicker": A common phrase used to introduce the most surprising, ironic, or important part of a story or situation.
  • The car was cheap, it was in great condition, and here's the kicker—the previous owner had just installed a new engine.

Variants and Related Words

• Kick (verb/noun): The action of striking with the foot; the source of the noun "kicker."
• Placekicker (noun): A more specific term in American football for a kicker who specializes in kicking a ball held in place on the ground.
• Punter (noun): In American football, a player who kicks the ball after it is dropped from the hands, distinct from a placekicker.

Synonyms

• Football/Soccer player (specific): Placekicker, specialist.
• Stipulation: Catch, hitch, snag, twist.
• Complainer: Grumbler, grouser, malcontent.

Related Phrases

• "That's the kicker": Used to highlight the crucial or problematic part of something just mentioned.
  • We can go, but we have to be back by midnight. That's the kicker.

Noun

1. a player who kicks the football