throw down the gauntlet
English edit
Alternative forms edit
Etymology edit
From the late medieval custom symbolizing a challenge, in French jeter le gant which nowadays usually means to give up after having tried hard (leaving the challenge to any takers). The English phrase dates to the 1540s (figurative use by the 18th century).
Verb edit
throw down the gauntlet (third-person singular simple present throws down the gauntlet, present participle throwing down the gauntlet, simple past threw down the gauntlet, past participle thrown down the gauntlet)
Derived terms edit
Related terms edit
Translations edit
issue a challenge
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