chuck up the sponge

Found in Anh - Anh (Wordnet)

Definition Verb (Phrasal Verb) : * To give up completely; to admit defeat or failure, especially in a contest or struggle. This idiom originates from boxing, where a fighter's trainer would literally throw a sponge (used to clean the fighter) into the ring as a signal of surrender. It implies a final and decisive abandonment of an effort. Usage This phrasal verb is used intransitively to descri...