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COMBAT SPORTS: BOXING & WRESTLING :
Boxing is
a very old sport. The Greeks included it in the Olympic games in the seventh
century A.D. It was reintroduced in England centuries later and came to
America with the English. It is a popular sport in the United States,
with the championship matches watched by millions on television each year.
The rules
of boxing were codified by the Marquess of Queensberry in England more
than a century ago, in 1899. Two fighters used gloved hands to hit each
other on areas of the upper body. Matches or bouts are won by: a knockout
(A contestant is knocked to the floor and counted out.); a technical decision,
where a contestant loses by points; or he is hurt so badly he has to retire
from the fight.
Wrestling
is also a very old sport in which two opponents struggle hand to hand
to throw each other to the ground or to a mat. Depending on the type of
wrestling, different grips or "holds" are used.
IDIOM:
heavyweight
boxing, weightlifting, wrestling, rowing sports
MEANING 1:
a competitor in the strongest, heaviest division
SENTENCE 1: Joe Louis was a great heavyweight boxer.
MEANING
2: to be the most important
SENTENCE 2: International Business Machines is a heavyweight
in the computer business.
IDIOM:
lightweight boxing, rowing and other sports where lighter competitors
can compete
MEANING 1: to be in a division for persons who are light in weight and
not as strong as those in the heavyweight division.
SENTENCE 1: Carlos Ortiz was a lightweight champion in the 1960's.
MEANING
2: to be of lesser importance
SENTENCE 2: He can't help you. He is a lightweight in this corporation.
IDIOM:
take something on the chin boxing
MEANING 1: to be hit on the chin
SENTENCE 1: The boxer took a punch to the chin and is down.
MEANING 2:
to have something bad happen to one
SENTENCE 2: He took it on the chin today. He was fired.
IDIOM:
hit below the belt boxing
MEANING 1:
to hit another boxer below the belt
SENTENCE 1: It is illegal to hit a boxer below the belt.
MEANING 2:
to hurt someone unnecessarily
SENTENCE 2: He hit below the belt in that argument when he criticized
her appearance.
IDIOM:
ringside seat
primarily boxing
MEANING
1: to have a seat near to the action of the game or fight
SENTENCE 1: He had a ringside seat at the Tyson fight.
MEANING
2: to be where the action is
SENTENCE 2: The general had a ringside seat just behind the troop lines.
IDIOM:
down and out (for the count)
boxing
MEANING 1:
in boxing, to be hit such that one falls down and is counted "out" by
the official
SENTENCE 1: The fighter is down and out. The fight is over.
MEANING
2: to be in a bad situation and to need help
SENTENCE 2: The homeless are down and out.
IDIOM:
throw in the towel (or sponge) boxing
MEANING 1:
the boxing manager throws in the towel to stop the fight
SENTENCE 1: His manager threw in the towel and the fight was over.
MEANING 2:
to give up, to not pursue an objective
SENTENCE 2: I want to throw in the towel on this marriage. It's not going
to work. We fight too much.
DERIVATION:
In the early days of boxing, opponents used bare fists to hit each other.
When hit a sponge was used to wipe away blood. When a fighter was no longer
able to fight, his manager would throw the bloody sponge into the ring
to stop the fight.
IDIOM:
a one-two punch
boxing
MEANING 1:
to deliver or receive two punches, one right after another
SENTENCE 1: The boxer knocked out his opponent with a a one-two punch
combination.
MEANING
2: to be in a difficult situation because two negative things have happened
to one
SENTENCE 2: I got a a one-two punch before the election: Two important
groups were against me. I lost.
IDIOM:
no holds barred
Wrestling
MEANING 1:
An extemely dangerous wrestling match because no grips or "holds" are
forbidden.
SENTENCE 1: He broke his opponents arm because no holds were barred.
MEANING
2: to do anything to achieve a result
SENTENCE 2: No holds are barred in international arms sales.
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