Reader question:
What does the expression "down but not out" mean? And where does it come from? Give examples.
My comments:
"Down but not out" is a variation of "down and out." Both expressions come from the game of boxing.
It is one thing to try to learn expressions like these (along with their definitions and usage) by rote, but quite another, and far easier if you happen to know their origins. Learning idioms by rote doesn't always make it easy for you to put them into use correctly. Understanding where they come from, on the other hand, often gives you the confidence that you can put them into use in the right circumstances.
In the game of boxing, one of the more dramatic ways to end a contest (or bout, as it is called) is by knockout, i.e. by KNOCKing your opponent OUT (unconscious). The knockout is declared if a player who's knocked DOWN to the floor (or canvas as they call it) fails to stand up on his feet within 10 seconds. As soon as the player is down on the floor, the referee begins the count to 10, at the end of which he waves his hand and sometimes say "OUT", meaning the player is deemed out of conscious and therefore unable to continue. Game over.
A lot of times the player who's knocked down is able to stand back up before the count to ten ends and therefore the game continues. In this case, the player is described as "down but not out". The fight resumes until one player is knocked down, and this time fails to get up. In this case, he's described as "down and out." If neither player is knocked out, they are said to be able to go the distance of a, say, 12-round fight. The winner is declared then via a points count by three ring-side officials. Oh, never mind.
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