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having failed in doing or achieving something and unable to continue
What is the origin of the idiom "make a go of something" and when to use it?
The idiom "down for the count" is believed to have originated in the sport of boxing, where a boxer who is knocked down by their opponent must remain on the mat for a count of ten before they can continue the fight. This phrase is often used more broadly to describe a person who has been defeated or overcome, whether in a physical or metaphorical sense.
(of a boxer) knocked down and unable to stand up and continue the fight within the referee's ten-second count
sleeping so soundly that one cannot be easily awakened
What is the origin of the idiom "down for the count" and when to use it?
The idiom "down for the count" originally comes from the sport of boxing, where it was used to describe a fighter who had been knocked down by their opponent and was temporarily unable to continue the match. In boxing, the referee would count to ten, and if the downed fighter didn't rise before the count of ten, they were declared the loser. Over time, the phrase has been extended to describe someone who is temporarily incapacitated, exhausted, or overwhelmed, particularly in the context of sleep or fatigue.
