benchwarmer

bench warmer

An athlete who does not get much playing time (usually because they are not very good or skilled). I'm just a bench warmer, so you won't see me out on the court much.
See also: bench, warmer
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

bench warmer

n. a ballplayer who spends most of the game on the bench waiting to play; a second-rate player. You’ll never be anything but a bench warmer.
See also: bench, warmer
McGraw-Hill's Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions

benchwarmer

A person who is seldom or never active in an enterprise. Derived from the sports meaning of a player who rarely or never takes part in a game but is relegated to sitting on the bench, the term, which dates from the early 1900s, was almost immediately transferred to other circumstances. The sports meaning appeared in a 2006 film, The Benchwarmers, about three not very competent ballplayers.
The Dictionary of Clichés by Christine Ammer
See also:
  • bench warmer
  • warmer
  • warmers
  • grab some bench
  • heat up
  • ride the pine
  • warm up
  • snowbird
  • on the bench
  • take the bench
References in periodicals archive
The strain on their wage bill was difficult to justify when he was a first-team regular - as a benchwarmer it's foolish.
Mesut Euzil facing career crossroads at Arsenal
The back four are very good but need Pritchard in the team for a good run - PS12m for a benchwarmer is crazy to my mind.
GAME ON What the fans [...]
The 23-year-old refused to feel frustrated after being a benchwarmer last season, with Tomas Cerny in firm control as Jags' No.1.
Scully I can be No.1 hit
Brunton's HeatSync BenchWarmer, r PS49.50, from alloutdoor.co.uk LIKE the idea of going out hiking but put off by cold weather?
HIKING AIDS GADGETS
This time Scottsdale and Glendale will still fill big roles, but Phoenix won't be a benchwarmer. And its thriving light-rail line and new bike-sharing program make it easy for football fans to explore the city.
Phoenix in the Super Bowl spotlight
Skipper Sam Warburton's serious shoulder injury has opened the door for Tipuric this summer and the Ospreys star plans to make the most of his opportunity following a disappointing championship when he was a regular benchwarmer.
Ospreys' Tipuric left frustrated by limited action for Wales
In "Recollection of a High School Benchwarmer," the author focuses on the camaraderie of a group of benchwarmers, their longings to play in the game, and the activities (makeshift bowling) they engage in as they wait.
Robert Paul Moreira, ed. Arriba Baseball!: A Collection of Latino/a Baseball Fiction. Donna TX: Vao Publishing, 2013. 224pp. Paper, $11.99
Until now, a year since Lin out of nowhere burst into the spotlight in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as an unlikely benchwarmer turned hero for the New York Knicks, the hoopla surrounding "Linsanity" is still being felt strongly here in the Philippines.
'Linsanity' hits Manila
Then another benchwarmer, Danny Ward, pounced three minutes into added time to seal it.
Boro are rocked by late winner
Miami Heat benchwarmer Dexter Pittman decided to get his name out there during garbage minutes of the Heat's game four victory over the Indiana Pacers.
Miami Heat vs. Indiana Pacers: Video of Dexter Pittman's Flagrant Foul of Lance Stephenson
Bent's lack of recognition stems back to his Tottenham days when he was a benchwarmer for long periods despite a decent goals tally.
BENT: I HAVE EURO GOAL; Villa star looks to defy the doubters
As a former stand-out (benchwarmer) on a high school (junior varsity) football team in Texas, I welcome the news of the West Coast's inaugural "Bagel Bowl," allegedly the first match-up of Jewish high school football teams on America's traditional weak side formation.
A Bagel Bowl with Everything
He casually made his way toward the visiting Kansas City Kings bench and grabbed the warm-up suit of a Kings benchwarmer in the final minutes of the team's rout of the lowly Pistons.
obituary
Although he jokingly describes his position in that sphere as "benchwarmer", he no longer fills that role in his riding career, and when he walks the track at Epsom it will be as one of the Ballydoyle team.
O'Brien hoping to take another step up on big weekend
They don't, though: If this was a sport, El Paso would be a benchwarmer, watching the first-stringers - the people who put some real effort into the game.
In Politics, Size Doesn't Always Matter