| sucker punch | |
| —n | |
| 1. | a sudden surprise punch, esp from behind |
| 2. | a sudden unexpected defeat or setback |
| a screen or mat covered with a dark material for shielding a camera lens from excess light or glare. |
| a stew of meat, vegetables, potatoes, etc. |
sucker punch
An unexpected blow, as in They felt that suddenly raising the interest rate was a sucker punch to the administration. This expression comes from boxing, where it is used for a punch delivered unexpectedly; boxing great Jack Dempsey wrote, "The right lead [for a right-handed boxer] is called a sucker punch." [Slang; mid-1900s]