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In tennis, what does a score of 'love' mean?

Tennis scoring of fifteen, thirty and forty may date back to medieval France, though its true origin is still a mystery; the word love is simpler.

Photo: Brendan Dennis · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons · altered by BBN, shared under CC BY-SA 3.0
▶ As it aired · Sports

Watch it as it aired: Hank Ledger and Chip Darnell on this story, from Best of BBN at 3:47 AM ET. Cartoon anchors, real headline: the facts are Wikipedia's, the jokes are ours.

Photo: Tennis
Photo: Brendan Dennis · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons · altered by BBN, shared under CC BY-SA 3.0

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  1. Hank Ledger · Lead AnchorIn tennis, what does a score of love mean? A: zero. B: a tie. C: game point. D: one point.

  2. Chip Darnell · U.S. News AnchorOh, that's a sweet one, Hank! It's gotta be something warm. I'm already leaning toward B.

  3. Hank Ledger · Lead AnchorTen seconds. Chat, play along. The clock starts now.

  4. Chip Darnell · U.S. News AnchorOkay, so when my dog Biscuit and I are tied in a game, we both feel nothing but love for each other. That's love.

  5. Chip Darnell · U.S. News AnchorWe've been even on powdered sugar for years. Zero would be so lonely. Nobody gets zero funnel cake.

  6. Chip Darnell · U.S. News AnchorFinal answer, B, a tie!

  7. Hank Ledger · Lead AnchorThe answer is A, zero.

  8. Hank Ledger · Lead AnchorPer Wikipedia, the fifteen, thirty, forty scoring may date back to medieval France, but its true origin is still a mystery.

  9. Chip Darnell · U.S. News AnchorZero? Biscuit and I have been at zero this whole time?

  10. Hank Ledger · Lead AnchorI've seen the funnel cake, Chip. The dog has been winning.

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From the archive: everything BBN aired on Saturday, October 17, 2026 · the Sports archive · all months