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down to the wire Horse racing: To the very end or last minute. AHDI dates "down for the count" to the 1920s OED cites out for the count to 1930. Down for the count may imply a temporary setback, as down does not necessarily imply out. Refers to a boxer being knocked down the referee will count off ten seconds, the time allotted for the boxer to regain his feet or lose the fight. down for the count out for the count Boxing: To be defeated. AHDI states the term "probably" came from boxing, circa 1900 OED references boxing rather obliquely, and cites first figurative usage to 1889. A boxer who is "down" has been knocked to the canvas, and one who is also "out" is unconscious or unable to resume the fight thus a down-and-out boxer is utterly defeated. CIDI, D down and out Boxing: Lacking money or prospects penniless or destitute. come out fighting or come out swinging Boxing: To go immediately on the offensive, often pre-emptively or, to strongly defend oneself or one's beliefs.
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ADHI dates figurative usage the "early 1900s". In some ball games (for example American or Canadian football, rugby, etc.), the ball can be carried to advance toward a goal.
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carry the ball American football, rugby, etc: To take charge, to assume responsibility. The term is based on the practice of changing a play right before the play is run in American football.
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(Not the block and tackle system of cables and pulleys for lifting heavy loads.) C call an audible American football: To improvise often in the spur of the moment. In order to be successful in the game, a player must understand when to block and when to tackle. In some ball games (for example American or Canadian football, rugby, etc.), blocking and tackling are basic components of the game. When referenced, it's usually speaking to changing the behavior or going back to an earlier time when things were functional or building basic skills to ensure the success of various endeavors. block and tackle American football, rugby, etc: The basics, to get back to the basics. ī beat someone to the punch Boxing: to anticipate and potentially react to a move or action. Phrases from sports are a "part of a nation’s linguoculture." where "members of common culture not only share the same information but also the methods of coding, storing and retrieving the information. The occurrence is of note for philologists, linguists. See English language idioms derived from baseball and baseball metaphors for sex.Įxamination of the ethnocultural relevance of these idioms in English speech in areas such as news and political discourse (and how "Rituals, traditions, customs are very closely connected with language and form part and parcel of the linguacultural “realia”") occurs. The body of idioms derived from that sport is so extensive that two other articles are exclusively dedicated to them. This list does not include idioms derived exclusively from baseball. In some cases, the specific sport may not be known these entries may be followed by the generic term sports, or a slightly more specific term, such as team sports (referring to such games as baseball, football, hockey, etc.), ball sports (baseball, tennis, volleyball, etc.), etc. The sport from which each phrase originates has been included immediately after the phrase. They have evolved usages and meanings independent of sports and are often used by those with little knowledge of these games. The following is a list of phrases from sports that have become idioms (slang or otherwise) in English.