It’s Like Kissing Your Sister

Detroit Lions Are Bad at Football

It has been a difficult year to be a fan of the Detroit Lions. Our team is the only team that hasn’t won a game yet this year. There have been some close games and some really bad losses. Today, the Lions didn’t lose, they tied. But, they say tying is like kissing your sister.

Kissing your sister is a North American phrase that is mostly used in sports. It refers to something that is unpleasant. I think that it is when something good happens, even if it doesn’t feel good. Also, there are many cultures around the world, where kissing your sister wouldn’t be that bad. However, in North America it is seen as gross. We interpret this to mean a romantic kiss and not just a kiss on the cheek.
Example: He won on a technicality. Winning this way is like kissing your sister.

The first use of the phrase to talk about a tie game came from Edgar E. Miller in 1946. However, the phrase existed since at least 1892 as Kate Field wrote, “Reading a typewritten letter from your sweetheart is like kissing your sister.  By 1892, the phrase was applied to non-alcoholic beverages.
Example: Drinking Cass 0.0 is like kissing your sister.

Bonus

The Detroit Lions were the first team to lose every game in a 16-game season in 2008. The only other team to do that was the 2017 Cleveland Browns. So, there were a lot of comparisons to the 2008 season. At least we didn’t technically lose every game this year. But this tie still feel like kissing your sister.

See Also: Cringe, Might doesn't make right

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Reference:
https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2090999-like-kissing-your-sister-the-worst-ties-in-sports
https://www.barrypopik.com/index.php/new_york_city/entry/a_tie_game_is_like_kissing_your_sister
https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/tech/2021/06/694_311239.html