The phrase Lead on, Macduff, meaning “Let’s go!” or “You go on ahead and I’ll follow,” is an alteration of the famous phrase from the final scene of combat in Shakespeare’s Macbeth (Bookshop|Amazon), where...
In sports slang, a horse-collar is “a score of zero,” and to horse-collar an opponent is “to hold them scoreless.” This is part of a complete episode.
If one has a chip on one’s shoulder, they’re spoiling for a fight. The phrase derives from the old practice of literally putting a chip of wood or other small object on one’s shoulder and daring an adversary to knock the chip off...
If you’re having a particularly tough time, you might say that you’re “having a hard fight with a short stick.” The idea is that if you’re defending yourself with a short stick, you’d be at a disadvantage against...
To belt out a song onstage probably derives from the idea of belting your opponent in the boxing ring. This is part of a complete episode.
late train n.— «Haass recounted how the special interest donations start flowing to incumbents as soon as they are elected. All the people who supported the council member’s opponent get on the “late train,” as it is called...