throw in the towel

and throw in the sponge; toss in the sponge

Fig. (From boxing, where this is done by a boxer's trainer to stop the fight.) to signal that one is going to quit; to quit. When John could stand no more of Mary's bad temper, he threw in the towel and left. Don't give up now! It's too soon to throw in the sponge.

See also: throw, towel

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 continue by throwing a towel into the area where the fight takes place)

See also: throw, towel

throw in the towel

and throw in the sponge and 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.) The candidate who was exposed by the press as a former pickpocket tossed in the sponge in a tearful press conference. I’m done! I’m tossing in the sponge!

See also: throw, towel

throw in the towel

To quit. A prizefighter's sidemen use sponges to clean his face of sweat and blood. To toss the sponge into the ring during a fight signaled that the boxer had had enough—and so the sponge was no longer needed. In recent years, towels have been substituted for sponges in boxing matches, and consequently, in the expression too.

See also: throw, towel

Common Names:

Name	Pronounced	Usage
Eiran	-	Hebrew, Biblical Hebrew
Amanda	ə-MAN-də (English), ah-MAHN-dah (Spanish, Italian, German)	English, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, German, Late Roman
Sabri	-	Arabic
Siegfried	ZEEK-freet (German)	German, Germanic Mythology
Inez	['i:nez]
Arbuckle	[a:'bʌkl]