last week in a class we had a discussion about the difference between knock down and knock out (phrasal verbs) and their noun equivalents knockdown and knockout. both words are associated with boxing.

fun elt practice 🥊richyrocks english on youtube

for example, after a draw and two losses in their first three fights, juan manuel marquez knocked out manny pacquiao in the sixth round of their fourth fight in december of 2012.

ll cool j, host of the grammys for the past 4 years, won a grammy himself for the track mama said knock u out.  the video is full of boxing imagery.

lil wayne and nicki minaj mix images of boxing and sexual innuendo in their track knockout

another example with another wayne: last weekend, manchester united forward wayne rooney scored a goal and celebrated by doing some shadow boxing (punching the air) and then imitating being knocked out.

the washington post reported his celebration with this headline

Wayne Rooney hilariously mocks ‘knockout’ boxing video in goal celebration

mock means make fun of or laugh at. the boxing video mentioned is a low quality recording first released by the sun that shows stoke city (and former man u) defender phil bardsley supposedly knocking rooney out during a spontaneous but friendly boxing match in rooney’s kitchen.

a knockout? 

it seems most likely that the video was just a lark (for fun, not serious) and that bardsley vs rooney didn’t actually end in a knockout.

knock down refers to falling as a result of contact. boxer floyd mayweather, aka “money” and “the pound for pound champ” has never been knocked down in his 47 professional fights, though some people claim what happens in this video is a knockdown. what do u think?

the lyrics of pat benatar‘s famous song hit me with your best shot are about fighting and being tough (strong, resilient). listen at :55 for knock down

knock me down, it’s all in vain
i get right back on my feet again

in vain means useless, it will not be successful.

and if u were alive and had ears in 1997 &1998, u probably heard the chumbawamba song tubthumping a hundred times or more. the chorus is inspirational and contains a figurative example of knock down

i get knocked down, but i get up again, you’re never gonna keep me down

in fact because it is repeated numerous times throughout the song, many people believe the title is i get knocked down.

manny pacquiao and floyd mayweather jr. will fight on may 2.

mayweather & pacquiao (ringtv)

do u think pacquiao will be the first boxer to knock down the pound for pound champ?  will the fight be decided by a knockout?  do u know any other non-boxing applications of knock down or knockout? share your comments under leave a reply