- throw in the towel
- also throw in the sponge phrasal to abandon a struggle or contest ; acknowledge defeat ; give up
New Collegiate Dictionary. 2001.
throw in the towel
Look at other dictionaries:
throw\ in\ the\ towel — • throw in the sponge • throw up the sponge • throw in the towel v. phr. informal To admit defeat; accept loss. After taking a beating for five rounds, the fighter s seconds threw in the sponge. When Harold saw his arguments were not being… … Словарь американских идиом
throw in the towel — ► throw in the towel (or sponge) 1) (in boxing) throw a towel (or sponge) into the ring as a token of defeat. 2) admit defeat. Main Entry: ↑throw … English terms dictionary
throw in the towel — If you throw in the towel, you admit that you are defeated or cannot do something … The small dictionary of idiomes
throw in the towel — verb give up in the face of defeat of lacking hope; admit defeat (Freq. 1) In the second round, the challenger gave up • Syn: ↑drop out, ↑give up, ↑fall by the wayside, ↑drop by the wayside, ↑throw in, ↑ … Useful english dictionary
throw in the towel — If you throw in the towel, you admit that you are defeated or cannot do something. (Dorking School Dictionary) *** If you throw in the towel, you admit that you cannot succeed. After unsuccessfully competing in several… … English Idioms & idiomatic expressions
throw in the towel — AND throw in the sponge; toss in the sponge tv. to quit; to give up. (From boxing where a towel or sponge thrown into the ring indicates that a boxer has given up.) □ I can tell when it’s time to throw in the towel, and this is that time. □ The… … Dictionary of American slang and colloquial expressions
throw in the towel — to admit defeat or failure. The union was forced to throw in the towel and settle their bitter dispute with the company. Etymology: based on the literal meaning of throwing a towel into the ring in boxing (= signaling that a fighter can no longer … New idioms dictionary
throw in the towel — Sponge Sponge (sp[u^]nj), n. [OF. esponge, F. [ e]ponge, L. spongia, Gr. spoggia , spo ggos. Cf. {Fungus}, {Spunk}.] [Formerly written also {spunge}.] 1. (Zo[ o]l.) Any one of numerous species of Spongi[ae], or Porifera. See Illust. and Note… … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
throw in the towel (to) — Admit defeat. ► “A look at household finances show why consumers are not ready to throw in the towel. The Federal Reserve reports net financial assets acquired by households continued to rise in the first quarter of 1995, at an annual rate of… … American business jargon
throw in the towel — to concede defeat Boxing imagery, from what the second does when his fighter is unable to continue: I ve got to go to Rummidge to see my lawyer tomorrow. I could instruct him to throw in the towel. (Lodge, 1995) … How not to say what you mean: A dictionary of euphemisms
throw in the towel — quit fighting, give up Don t throw in the towel. One more year and you ll graduate … English idioms
