📨 Telegraph One’s Punches
Definition: To signal one’s intentions unintentionally, often to one’s detriment. Originates from boxing, where it’s a no-no for fighters to hint at their next move, but the saying has muscled its way into everyday lingo.
Related Expressions:
- Tip one’s hand 🃏
- Spill the beans 🌱
- Give the game away 🏆
- Show one’s cards ♠️
- Let the cat out of the bag 🐱
Proverbs and Common Sayings:
- “Forewarned is forearmed.” 🚨
- “Pride goeth before the fall.” 📉
- “Loose lips sink ships.” 🚢
Synonyms:
- Foreshadow
- Hint
- Betray
- Reveal
- Disclose
Antonyms:
- Conceal
- Hide
- Mask
- Cover up
Humor-filled Quote: “Telegraphing your punches is like playing poker with your cards facing the wrong way. It’s a sucker’s game!”
Inspirational Quote: “True strength is in subtleties and silence. It’s in staying calm but alert, prepared but mysterious.” — Sam Shadowboxing
Literature, Books, and Movies:
- Book: “The Art of War” by Sun Tzu 📚 — Strategic and subtle, this ancient treatise shows how power often lies in the unknown.
- Movie: “The Fighter” 🎬 — A boxing biopic that details the art of strategy and the dangers of telegraphing punches.
- Poetry: “Invictus” by William Ernest Henley 📝 — A poem that explores mental resilience and the importance of not giving away internal struggles.
Farewell Thought: “We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit — a habit of guarding our intentions until they are realized.” — A distant cousin of Aristotle (who might, on occasion, telegraph his punches!)
### What does "telegraph one's punches" mean?
- [ ] To spread gossip quickly
- [x] To signal one’s intentions unintentionally
- [ ] To write letters by hand
- [ ] To create digital art
> **Explanation:** "Telegraph one's punches" means to signal one's intentions unintentionally, giving away a plan or action prematurely.
### In which context was this term originally used?
- [ ] Accounting
- [x] Boxing
- [ ] Cooking
- [ ] Chess
> **Explanation:** This term originally comes from boxing, where fighters try not to indicate where they are going to strike.
### Which synonym means the same as "telegraph one’s punches"?
- [ ] Conceal
- [x] Foreshadow
- [ ] Mask
- [ ] Cover up
> **Explanation:** "Foreshadow" means to represent or indicate beforehand, similar to how "telegraph one’s punches" means to signal one's intentions unintentionally.
### What’s an antonym of "telegraph one’s punches"?
- [ ] Reveal
- [ ] Hint
- [ ] Betray
- [x] Conceal
> **Explanation:** "Conceal" is an antonym because it means to keep something hidden or secret, the opposite of unintentional signaling.
### True or False: "Show one’s cards" is a related expression.
- [x] True
- [ ] False
> **Explanation:** "Show one’s cards" is indeed related as it implies revealing one's intentions or strategies too soon, similar to "telegraph one’s punches."
