Question

Throw in the Towel to give up; to admit that you're defeated; to quit

Accepted Answer

You mustn't throw in the towel when the other team puts up great arguments. There are always towels or sponges near a boxing ring to wipe the sweaty boxers between rounds. In Britain, in the middle 1800s, the manager or friend of a boxer who was being badly beaten would often throw the towel or sponge into the boxing ring or up into the air as a signal of surrender. That meant the fight was over.

Idiom	Throw in the Towel
Example	You mustn't throw in the towel when the other team puts up great arguments.
Meaning	to give up; to admit that you're defeated; to quit
Origin	There are always towels or sponges near a boxing ring to wipe the sweaty boxers between rounds. In Britain, in the middle 1800s, the manager or friend of a boxer who was being badly beaten would often throw the towel or sponge into the boxing ring or up into the air as a signal of surrender. That meant the fight was over.

Throw Towel Boxing Ring Mustn't Team Puts Great