You are going to find out all the things you want to know about the basic French idiom "Je jette l'éponge". Including a full definition of what it is and how to use it in a casual conversation with an audio example. And that's not all, we also added some useful informations like dialogue example, synonym, slow pronunciation audio and more!
Translation : I give up
Literal meaning : I throw the sponge
Register : Informal - Basic
Slow
Normal
IPA : / ʒə ʒɛt lepɔ̃ʒ /
This expression comes from the world of boxing, where the coach can throw his sponge (or towel) in the middle of the ring to request an end to the fight in place of his boxer.
If you want to say "I give up" in French you can simply say "J'abandonne."
But if you want to be a bit more informal and original, use instead: "Je jette l'éponge" (Literally: "I throw the sponge")
This is very similar to the English expression "To throw in the towel" which also refers to boxing. But why English chose the towel and French chose the sponge is a mystery...
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Mauvais perdant
Sore loser
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