Parked: Let's Settle the Debate Once and for All

[ru4por]

Even though that last disc is only 12 feet out and should be a gimme, I would not consider it parked.

Wait, wait.....wait. Just wait a darn second here. I am not going to stand by idly, while you, or anyone, blurs the vital distinction between gimme range and parked. I will not abide by such callous and dismissive abuse of the disc golf nomenclature.

 

[pauldst]

Gonna have to take this in reverse order.

When you get to the grocery store, shopping center, work and the closest spot is a ways away....your car isn't parked? What is it then?

By the M-W definition (3a), anywhere a disc lands is "parked".

"Wow, I parked it!" said no one ever about anywhere a disc landed that wasn't near the basket. Referring to where a disc lands is generally done with variants of "land", "sit", "fell", "lie", etc. Given the usage, "park" or "parked", when referring to a thrown disc, has a specific, rather than general, meaning. Since it is a non-standard use the dictionary definition is obviously not the strict arbiter of its meaning. I'm not sure whether to call this a colloquialism or jargon, or something else....

Difference Between Jargon, Slang, and Colloquialism
There are similarities between the definitions of jargon, slang, and colloquialism, as they are all terms referring to specified language only used by certain groups. Colloquialisms are specific terms and phrases that are informal and often idiomatic. Colloquialisms are often bounded by a geographical region, like the variation in the United States of where the words "soda," "pop," "soft drink," and "Coke" are used. Colloquialisms are not bounded by age or class. Slang, while also being informal language, is generally used in social groups such as by teenagers. Thus, slang is bounded by geography, age, and class as well.

Jargon, on the other hand, can be understood by anyone who is part of an industry, and thus the individual often makes a choice of whether or not he or she is a part of that group. Jargon is limited not by region, class, or age, but instead by the choices that a person makes to join a sport, participate in a certain art form, or take on a certain career.

https://literarydevices.com/jargon/

Where do you get that "parked" is short for "parked at the door"?

Common usage, context, logic... Why would you think it otherwise?

In college, I rode a motorcycle to school most of the time after my first couple of years. If I drove my car I still had to walk half a mile or so to get to my classes. With a motorcycle I could park at the door in many cases--and if not was still a lot closer--so it was a figure of speech, which I had previously heard, that I used frequently before ever hearing of disc golf. Either way I was parked, but only when I was close, at the door, was I happy about it.

 

[BillFleming]

Common usage, context, logic... Why would you think it otherwise?

In college, I rode a motorcycle to school most of the time after my first couple of years. If I drove my car I still had to walk half a mile or so to get to my classes. With a motorcycle I could park at the door in many cases--and if not was still a lot closer--so it was a figure of speech, which I had previously heard, that I used frequently before ever hearing of disc golf. Either way I was parked, but only when I was close, at the door, was I happy about it.

Why would I think otherwise?
As you say "Common usage, context, logic"
I heard "parked" came from putting your car into P (Park).

Parking can happen anywhere, not just close to your door. I can park in a parking lot, where I am not close to a door, but I'm still parked.

But anyways.....that's just discussing where the term park originated and the nuance of the term. Back to the topic....what is parked in disc golf? Except for uDisc defining it, I don't think there is a clear definition. PDGA doesn't name or define it. I think most players use it to identify a "gimme" in their mind; with a "gimme" being a distance where they feel the player can't miss. Parked for Paul McBeth might be different than for me.

 

[autocrosscrx]

Honestly, it doesn't make a lot of sense as an expression.

When I first started disc golf, I though it specifically referred to shots that slowly slid up to the post and stopped inches short. Because that is the only thing that made sense to me.

 

[chevis]

valet parking is a gimme. parked is a rarely missed short putt.