Francophonie· easy
jeter l'éponge
“to throw the sponge”
Meaning
to finally give up trying
Explanation
The moment you admit defeat and stop trying for good.
Example
Après trois refus, il a fini par jeter l'éponge et changer de carrière.
After three rejections, he finally gave up and changed careers.
Origin
It comes from boxing, where a fighter's corner can throw the sponge they use to freshen him up into the ring to stop the fight and protect him from further punishment.
Source
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