Grand Slam - Definition and Overview

Grand Slam is a general sports term applied when achieving something special.

Most common uses:

• In tennis, winning the Grand Slam is holding the following titles at the same time: Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon, US Open. Those tournaments are therefore also known as the Grand Slam tournaments.
• In rugby union, the beating of all opponents during the Six Nations Championship (previously Five Nations Tournament), alternatively it is when a touring team manages to beat all four home nations (England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland).
• In golf, the modern Grand Slam is winning the following four tournaments in the same year: The Masters, The Open Championship, US Open, PGA Championship. (Before the founding of The Masters and the ascension of the PGA Championship, the U.S. and British Amateurs were considered part of the four majors.)
• In baseball, a grand slam is a home run with all the bases occupied, thereby scoring 4 runs, which is the most possible on one swing of the bat. The baseball usage is thought to have been coined by comparison to the term in bridge.
• In bridge, it is bidding for and winning all the tricks in one hand.
• In snooker, winning the Grand Slam is holding the following 8 titles at the same time: LG Cup, British Open, UK Championships, Irish Masters, Welsh Open, European Open, Players Championships and Embassy World Championship (Sheffield)
• In ski jumping, winning the Grand Slam is winning the Four Hills Tournament. These 4 tournaments are held in Oberstdorf, Garmisch-Partenkirchen (both in Germany), Innsbruck and Bischofshofen (both in Austria).

Other meanings:

• Grand Slam bomb was a larger version of the Tallboy bunker buster bomb developed by Barnes Wallis in World War II for the RAF.
• A TV quiz-show shown in the UK in 2003. Contestants had to pay £1,000 to take part.
• A 1999 album by Australian band Spiderbait.
• A popular, low price breakfast at U.S. nationwide restaurant chain Denny's, consisting of pancakes, eggs, bacon and sausage.