put up one's dukes
verbEtymology
Possibly by analogy to a king or other ruler summoning his dukes, and by extension the duke's knights or other soldiers, to battle an enemy. Another possibility is Cockney rhyming slang as explained at duke. It could also be a convoluted--though erroneous--reference to the 9th Marquess of Queensberry (after whom the rules for modern boxing were initially named).
Definitions
To raise one's clenched fists in front of one's body and stand in a threatening or…
To raise one's clenched fists in front of one's body and stand in a threatening or defiant manner, in preparation for a fistfight.
To take firm action or to show oneself to be committed to such action, as when competing…
To take firm action or to show oneself to be committed to such action, as when competing in a sporting event or other contest.
- Well you're a real tough cookie with a long history Of breaking little hearts like the one in me That's okay, let's see how you do it Put up your dukes and let's get down to it
- The NBC reporter who came to the match on Wednesday told Lafferty "Come on, put up your dukes, we want to see some blood."
The neighborhood
Vish — recursive loop
No curated loop yet for put up one's dukes. Loops are being traced one word at a time while the ingestion pipeline matures.
sense glosses and etymology drawn from English Wiktionary · source · CC-BY-SA