Ham-and-egger job, for a botched or below-standard effort, grew out of boxing slang. A ham-and-egger was a palooka: a low-rung fighter who filled out a card, took whatever small payday or meal came with it, and wasn’t expected to shine. The phrase...
To belt out a song onstage probably derives from the idea of belting your opponent in the boxing ring. This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “Origin of Musical Verb “Belt”” Hello, you have A Way with Words. Hi...
The idiom thrown for a loop most likely derives from boxing and the image of someone knocked head over heels. This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “Origin of “Thrown for a Loop”” Hello, you have A Way with Words...
If it’s no skin off your nose, there’s no harm done. This idiom, which the American Heritage Dictionary of Idioms suggests may come from boxing, means the same thing as no skin off my back or no skin off my ear. If you have other idioms...
To some folks, they’re thermals. To others, they’re long underwear. And some folks call them long johns. Are these warm undergarments named after some guy called John? This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “Long...
shot fighter n.— «Gomez is what some would call a “shot fighter,” and shot fighters don’t get more durable as they go, they get less able to hang in there for long periods of time and give a sustained effort. Each of Gomez’s...
