tap out
v. phr.— «Once, in a match with Kazushi Sakuraba of Japan, Mr. Gracie refused to “tap out,” or submit, despite being in an iron hold. Mr. Gracie let his own arm snap.» —“A Kinder, Gentler (but Not by Much) Brand of Fighting” by Anthony Ramirez New York Times Oct. 21, 2007. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
Brian in San Antonio, Texas, wonders about the origin of the pinkingin the term pinking shears. Such shears cut an even, zigzag pattern that keeps cloth from fraying at the edges. Pinking likely comes from French piquer, meaning to...
A listener in Fairbanks, Alaska, says her husband has long referred to her as a whippersnapper, insisting it’s a playful term of endearment. Whippersnapper goes back to the 17th century, when boys who didn’t own horses would strut around...