Musing on Mondays vol.1

Have you ever wondered where some of the common phrases we say have originated from? I think about stuff like this all the time. I have a list of the little things I hear people say and I wonder to myself, why do we say that? Every Monday I am going to post a phrase and share with you my research as to why we say some of the things we do.

Throwing in the towel.
This saying comes from the early days of boxing. When a fighter was too exhausted, bruised, and beaten to continue the fight, a towel or sponge was thrown into the middle of the ring to signify surrender. Since modern boxing has more rules and regulations to protect the fighter, the symbolic towel of surrender is no longer tossed to the center of the ring. However, the saying of throwing in the towel has remained with us as a way of telling others we have given up and have chosen to stop fighting whatever it is that we have been battling.

If you have a common phrase that you would like to know what it means, why we say it, and where it comes from, then leave me a comment and I will do the research for you. Happy musing!
(The picture above is of Erin quietly sitting on the rail of our back deck watching the birds eating only a few feet away in her line of sight. This has been one of her new favorite pastimes. We all need to slow down and watch the world around us go by instead of the world watching us go by! Food for thought!)