English, baby!

beat to the punch

Date: Jan 30 2003

Quote

1. Quote - Listen to the quote and guess what the slang means.

“I don’t know if they’re serious or they think it’s funny. I always say we’re the first to make fun of ourselves so we can beat everyone to the punch.”
- Mark McGrath, singer from the band Sugar Ray, talking about his band.

Definition

1. Definition - Study the definition.

do something before someone else can do it; outdo, outshine, overcome, surpass

2. Use - Learn how the slang is used.

By “beating someone to the punch” you are doing something before another competing person can do it. For example, if you and your brother both want a cookie, but there’s only one left, you can beat him to the punch by grabbing the cookie before he can. Or, if you want to be really cool, you can beat everyone to the punch by being the first person in school with the coolest new mobile phone or mp3 player.

Examples

1. Examples - Hear some example sentences.

””Jeff beat me to the punch three times in math class today. The teacher asked the class questions, but he always knew the answers before I did.”“

””The contestants on game shows are always trying to beat each other to the punch.”“

””Don’t let anyone beat you to the punch if you want to get the new toy for Christmas. You’re going to have to be at the store very early in the morning.”“

””I admit it. You beat me to the punch. You were here before me. I’ll sit somewhere else.”“

””Microsoft and Apple are alwasy trying to beat each other to the punch by making better computer software.”“

Winners

1. Winners - See who guessed the slang definition correctly.

I think “beat everyone to the punch” is something like beating someone else before they hit you.In this situation, Mark means that the band should make fun of their musical works first and make improvements before they are released so that the songs or the albums won’t be made fun of by the listeners after they are released.
by Grace (Toronto)
To beat everyone to the punch means to do something before the others. To be the first one to do things at a party. For example, tell jokes, make fun of other people, play tricks, and so on.
by Marialba (Campinas/Sao Paulo- Brazil)
To we can beat everyone to the punch is to do what someone else was goning to do before they do it.
by Hyoungwoni (South of Korea)
Do something before someone else does it
by Monique

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