Tebowing

WORD ON THE STREET What it means:We've had planking, and horsemanning, but those were mere trifles in comparison with the pose of all poses: tebowing. It sounds like some strange sexual practise, but tebowing is actually a new way of showing the world how holy you are.

One of America’s top football stars, Tim Tebow of the New York Jets, never loses an opportunity to promote his strong Christian beliefs – on and off the gridiron. After every touchdown, Tebow, a devout Baptist, would get down on one knee and rest his head on his fist, in a prayerlike pose. Soon, everyone was imitating his unique style of genuflection, and posting their tebowing pics on their blogs.

Where it comes from:American football hasn't impacted much on our language – although "quarterbacking" has become part of American business jargon – but since it was coined a year ago by blogger Jared Kleinstein, tebowing has spread worldwide.

So next time you see someone suddenly adopting Tebow’s pose in a public place, you’ll know you’ve been tebowed. On his new album, comedian Jimmy Fallon performs a hilarious parody of David Bowie’s Space Oddity, with the lyrics changed to lampoon Tebow’s special connection to Jesus. It’s called Tebowie.

How to say it:"No, no, Robbie Keane's not tebowing – he's just praying this nightmare will end in a draw."