What does it mean if you 'stymie' someone

A. This is another of those seemingly bizarre golfing terms, except this one hasn't been in general golfing use since about 1952.

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Q. What does it mean
A. This is a bit like explaining the offside rule in football, or how to play cricket, so listen carefully. According to Brewer's, a player, when on the putting green, was said to be 'laid a stymie' if his opponent's ball fell between him and his direct route to the hole - but only if the balls were not within six inches of each other. Then, apparently, to 'hole out ' would mean a difficult 'lofting' stroke.

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Q. So how does this relate to real life
A. This expression is still used, and has come to mean a difficult or frustrating position. If you are stymied, you are placed in this situation, and if you stymie someone, you are hampering someone in some way, and possibly forcing them to negotiate with you.

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Q. Golf must be a complicated game...
A. I don't doubt that, but it does produce some interesting terms to describe what's going on.

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Q. Such as...
A. Birdie is probably the best known. This is a golf score where the ball is hit into any one hole using one less stroke than the accepted number of strokes that hole requires (known as 'par').

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Q. What do birds have to do with it
A. The legend is that Ab Smith was playing golf in Atlantic city in 1903. He was working hard on improving his game, and managed to complete a hole in one shot under par. Delighted with his success, he shouted, 'That's a bird of a shot!' (In the US at that time, 'bird' was slang for an outstandingly skilful person.) Ab's term caught on and became a 'birdie'. That led to other�birdie terms...

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Q. What are they
A. Two strokes under par, being a rare sight, is known as an 'eagle'. Three, being even rarer, is an albatross.

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