Do you ever hear or read a phrase that you have heard all your life,but suddenly it doesn't make sense? It happens to me more often all the time,this time the phrase was "put up your dukes". In my never ending quest to instill order in my universe I once again went in search of an explanation. There isn't an exact cut and dried answer for this one,but I found enough to satisfy my curiosity.
One possibility suggest it was in honor of the Duke of York,Frederick Augustus, the second son of England's George III. He did not achieve fame from being commander-in-chief of the Army,but he was popular among his subjects. He had once dueled with the future Duke of Richmond,so his name was associated with fighting. Possibly this led boxers to nickname their fists "Dukes of York" which was eventually shortened to dukes and expressions like "put up your dukes" became common. Another explanation is Cockney rhyming slang for forks,(fork-York) with forks being related to fingers,hands and fists. Yet another approach suggest that noses were called "Dukes" because the Duke of Wellington's nose was big-fists being called "Duke Busters" and over time shortened to dukes.
One possibility suggest it was in honor of the Duke of York,Frederick Augustus, the second son of England's George III. He did not achieve fame from being commander-in-chief of the Army,but he was popular among his subjects. He had once dueled with the future Duke of Richmond,so his name was associated with fighting. Possibly this led boxers to nickname their fists "Dukes of York" which was eventually shortened to dukes and expressions like "put up your dukes" became common. Another explanation is Cockney rhyming slang for forks,(fork-York) with forks being related to fingers,hands and fists. Yet another approach suggest that noses were called "Dukes" because the Duke of Wellington's nose was big-fists being called "Duke Busters" and over time shortened to dukes.
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