Etimologia e Storia di throw in the towel

"ammettere la sconfitta," 1901 (inglese australiano), un uso figurato dal pugilato. In precedenza, nel senso letterale del ring, come throw the towel (1907), throw up the towel (1894).

[A trainer] was so impressed by the fact that Sharkey was knocked out that after the sailor was down six seconds he started to throw up his towel to indicate Sharkey's surrender. [news wire account of testimony in Fitsimmons-Sharkey case, December 11, 1896]