To kick a ball before it touches the ground in sports, or to give up and try a different approach.
From Latin 'ponto' meaning a punt (flat-bottomed boat), via Old French. The sports meaning developed from the boat term, possibly from the motion of pushing off. The figurative 'give up' sense emerged in American English from football terminology.
The journey from boat to football to 'giving up' shows how sports metaphors infiltrate everyday language. When you 'punt' on a decision, you're essentially kicking the problem downfield for someone else to handle - just like in football!
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