The Queen of Boxing: Vocabulary

Vocabulary

A. Abbreviations: Note the abbreviation used in the following sentence taken from the lesson ‘The Queen of Boxing’. “In the quarter-final, I defeated Nadia Hokmi of Poland by RSC.” Here, the expansion of RSC is Referee Stopped Contest.

Look at the other abbreviations used in the lesson.

USA  – United States of America

AIBA – Association Internationale de Boxe Amateur

Write the expanded forms of the following abbreviations we commonly come across in our daily life.

B. Note the underlined words in the sentences below. They are antonyms formed by adding prefixes ‘un’ and ‘dis’ to the base words.

·      The boxers were not unbeatable as I had earlier thought.

·      The greatest disadvantage for me was my loss of appetite.

Now form the opposites of the words given below by prefixing ‘un’, ‘in’, ‘dis’, ‘ir’, ‘il’ appropriately.

unfortunate, disrespect, irrational, indirect, uncomfortable, irregular, inactive, disagree, disobedient, discontinue, indecent, illegitimate, irregular, unaware, infinite, unnecessary

C. Idioms related to Sports

The world of sports has given us many idiomatic expressions like ‘blow-by-blow.’ Read the description of each of the idioms given below. Then match these idioms with their meaning given in the box.

i.      throw in the towel: Wet towels are kept near a boxing ring to wipe the sweat of boxers between rounds. When a boxer was getting badly beaten, his manager would throw a towel in the ring to end the fight.

ii.       in our corner: In a boxing match, the corners are the two opposite angles of a boxing ring where the boxers rest between rounds.

iii.               on the ropes: Boxing rings are typically enclosed by four ropes. As a boxer when your opponent has forced you against the ropes with his/her attack, you are in trouble.

iv.               below the belt: Hits below the beltline are generally considered illegal in boxing.

v.               square off: facing each other at the beginning of a match

i) throw in the towel - e) to give up

ii) in our corner - c) on your side in an argument or dispute

iii) on the ropes - a) state of near collapse or defeat

iv) below the belt - b) unfair or unsporting behavior

v) square off - c) prepare for a conflict