Bludger Backbeat is a method of hitting the Bludger backwards, difficult to pull off with any precision but very effective for disorienting opponents, who don’t expect a Bludger to come at them in that way (QA10).
Commentary
Etymology
Bludger, as the word is used in Quidditch, may have derived from the English word bludgeon, meaning a "thick stick with a heavy end, used as a weapon" or "to beat (someone) repeatedly with a bludgeon or other heavy object" (Oxford English Dictionary). Alternatively, in Australian slang, a bludger is a lazy or idle person who avoids work (Oxford English Dictionary).
Although a backbeat is being used in Quidditch to illustrate that the Beaters are beating (hitting) the Bludger backwards, it is also a musical term denoting a strong accent on an unaccented beat of the bar (Oxford English Dictionary).
Notes
This move from the modern Quidditch game is described in the book Quidditch Through the Ages by Kennilworthy Whisp (QA).
Lexicon list of Quidditch equipment and accessories
From the Web
WizardingWorld.com (Pottermore) features:
- Quidditch Through the Ages
- Which Quidditch position would be right for you
- A Blaggers guide to Quidditch
Harry Potter Wiki: Bludger
Pensieve (Comments)
Tags: competitions/competitors difficult disoriented fouls hitting match tactics