Socked

/ˈsɑkt/ verb

Definition

Punched someone forcefully or hit them with a sharp blow.

Etymology

From 16th-century slang, possibly related to 'sack' or 'sock' (a type of light shoe), with the verb form emerging in theatrical and boxing contexts. Some etymologists link it to dialectal words for hitting.

Kelly Says

The phrase 'socked it to you' became massive slang in the 1960s and was even used on the TV show 'Laugh-In'—it became shorthand for delivering bad news or criticism. Nobody's quite sure why 'sock' specifically became the word for punch, but it stuck.

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