You might be surprised to learn how many boxing phrases have entered into our common, everyday lexicon. Or if you watched any number of political pundit shows during election season, you actually wouldn’t be surprised.
The boxing analogies were flying all over the place, and as I referenced in an article last year about boxer Kelly Pavlik winning the Ohio Primary for Hillary Clinton, from just flipping through the channels I heard all of the following phrases used: “going for the knockout”, “opening a cut that won’t close”, “taking a mandatory count”, “suffering an early knockdown”, “looking to draw blood”, “firing counter shots” and many more.
But despite their prevalence in the argumentative, biased banter that America has come to call political coverage, boxing terminology, phrases and analogies turn up in all possible situations. Here are 8 of the most common boxing terms that have become ingrained into our culture, and examples of their application to America and our current affairs and economic struggles.
On The Ropes – In boxing, this means that a fighter is literally on the ropes. In many cases this results from a fighter being hurt, or trapped into a bad spot by an aggressor. Therefore, a fighter on the ropes is often in trouble. Applied elsewhere, the phrase signals a difficult, destructive or troubling problem for a person, group or company.
Example: “The American economy is really on the ropes.”
Down But Not Out/Down For the Count – Two separate phrases but jointly linked by the way they get their message across. Down but not out refers to a fighter being knocked down, but being able to get up and continue with the fight. Therefore, he wasn’t knocked out. Down for the count means a fighter is knocked down and can’t get up, meaning he is knocked out and couldn’t get up before the count of ten. The former is used in common language while referring to anybody or anything that is struggling but not completely finished and the latter is used to describe when somebody or something is completely finished, such as a company going bankrupt.
Example: “American automakers are down, but not out… although if their sales don’t pick up they may be down for the count.”
Roll With The Punches – A boxer looking to avoid a punch or minimize the effect of a landed one can roll with the punches. It’s a defensive tactic where the fighter protects is face with his front shoulder. When a punch comes his way, he can roll his shoulder to either dodge the punch or direct the impact away from his face. Translated into everyday language, roll with the punches means to keep working through difficulties, to be adaptable and take on challenges and so on.
Example: “President Obama better be able to roll with the punches if he’s going to fulfill his campaign promises.”
Puncher’s Chance – If you have the ability to really hit hard, you always have a chance at winning a fight. Even if the other boxer is technically superior or has been beating you decisively for 11 rounds and 2:30 into the 12th, you always have that punch that can save the day. Therefore, somebody with a big punch that is otherwise outmatched or losing has a puncher’s chance to win a fight. Out of the boxing realm, the phrase generally means having a small chance at success; it’s not impossible, but it’s not likely.
Example: “By the time Election Day came around, McCain just had a puncher’s chance of pulling out the win.”
Good Chin – A boxer with a good chin is somebody who can take a hard punch without being hurt or knocked down. The phrase having a good beard also means the same thing, that you can take a punch well. Since you get hit on the chin or where your beard is, you have a good one if you could take the shot. In everyday usage, the phrase refers to somebody or something who has been able to survive attacks, problems or setbacks.
Example: “My 401K still has 90% of its value from last year at this time. All things considering, my portfolio turned out to have a good chin!
Glass Jaw – A boxer with a glass jaw is the opposite of a one with a good chin. They are easily hurt and knocked down or out. Since glass shatters with hard impact having a glass jaw means that you can’t stand up to a hard punch. Using this outside of boxing, a person or thing with a glass jaw would not be able to stand up to intense pressure or difficult challenges.
Example: “Overextending their resources has led to American retailers and banks having a glass jaw.”
Toe to Toe – When two boxers are going toe to toe, they are standing right in front of each other and exchanging shots. Due to their close proximity to one another, the feet of one fighter will be right next to the feet of the other. So they are standing toe to toe, literally. The phrase applied to the rest of the world means two people or forces are meeting in direct confrontation, going against each other openly or frequently.
Example: “Rising carbon emission levels are going toe to toe with our natural environment and the winner at this point is still unclear.”
Pound for Pound – When you’re a top pound for pound boxer you are respected as being one of the best at your craft. While obviously a 130 lb. fighter could not be expected to beat a 200 lb. fighter he may still be the more skilled in the ring. How do you make up for this discrepancy, since the bigger, inferior man would beat the smaller, superior fighter? The term pound for pound means throwing out weight discrepancies and looking at talent, style and adaptability to determine whom is better than whom. Using the phrase when not talking about boxers it essentially means, all else being equal, this one person, place or thing is the best at something or is the greatest example of something.
Example: “It’s hard to say which nomination was a worse mistake, pound for pound, for the Republican Party, Sarah Palin for VP or Michael Steele for party chairman.
I don’t know if I feel like watching a boxing contest or getting into a political debate, although I’d like a beer to accompany my efforts either way. There are 8 of the most common boxing phrases that have merged with everyday language and can be applied in any situation. Use them wisely.
No political pundits or politicians were hurt in the making of this article, although, they preferably would have been.
