A spitball is a small piece of paper that a child chews or wets, rolls into a hard little ball, and then spits through a straw or flicks at a classmate. It belongs to the world of the school classroom, especially the American classroom, and it usually comes with the picture of a bored boy at the back and a teacher facing the blackboard. It is mainly American English; British children did much the same thing but rarely gave it this name.

A spitball is指的是 a small piece of paper一小張紙, that a child chews or wets小孩把它嚼濕或沾濕, rolls into a hard little ball揉成一顆小硬球, and then spits through a straw然後用吸管吹出去 or flicks at a classmate或彈向同學。It belongs to the world of the school classroom它屬於學校教室的世界, especially the American classroom尤其是美國的教室, and it usually comes with the picture of而且通常伴隨著這樣的畫面: a bored boy at the back後排一個無聊的男生, and a teacher facing the blackboard加上一個面對黑板的老師。It is mainly American English這主要是美式英語; British children did much the same thing英國小孩也做差不多的事, but rarely gave it this name但很少這樣稱呼它。

Two other uses are worth knowing. In baseball, a spitball is an illegal pitch where the pitcher puts spit or something slippery on the ball to make it move strangely in the air — banned for a hundred years now, but pitchers are still accused of it. And there is a very common verb, especially in offices: to spitball means to throw out rough ideas quickly without worrying whether they are good — 'let's spitball a few names for the product'.

Two other uses另外兩種用法 are worth knowing值得知道。In baseball在棒球裡, a spitball is an illegal pitchspitball 是一種違規的投法 where the pitcher puts spit or something slippery on the ball投手把口水或滑滑的東西抹在球上 to make it move strangely in the air讓球在空中變化怪異——banned for a hundred years now已經被禁了一百年, but pitchers are still accused of it但還是有投手被指控偷用。And there is a very common verb還有一個很常見的動詞用法, especially in offices尤其在辦公室裡: to spitball meansto spitball 的意思是 to throw out rough ideas quickly快速丟出一些粗略的點子 without worrying whether they are good不用擔心好不好——'let's spitball a few names for the product'例如『let's spitball a few names for the product』（我們來腦力激盪幾個產品名）。

That office sense is now probably the one you will meet most often as an adult, and it is friendly and informal, never rude.

That office sense這個辦公室裡的意思 is now probably the one you will meet most often as an adult現在大概是你長大後最常遇到的用法, and it is friendly and informal而且語氣友善、輕鬆, never rude一點都不失禮。