throw in one's hand


Give up, abandon, as in I'm through trying to assemble it; I'm throwing in my hand. This expression comes from card games such as poker, where it is used to retire from the game. Its figurative use dates from the 1920s.

Words Nearby throw in one's hand

The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.