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Down and out originated as a boxing term meaning a losing boxer was knocked unconscious. It later became a term for poverty and has been used in popular books, movies, and music. The phrase is one of many boxing expressions that have become common outside the ring. The song “Nobody Knows You When You’re Down and Out” became a hit during the Great Depression and has been covered by many artists. George Orwell’s book Down and Out in Paris and London is a testament to his impoverished life in the two cities during the 1920s.
Down and out is a common English expression, meaning the state of poverty or destitution. Originating as a boxing term in the early 20th century, it has since been used in the titles of popular books, movies and music. It is one of several English phrases that use the word down to convey emotional or financial deprivation, including downbeat, down at the heels, and oppressed. It can also mean physically incapacitated, a definition that harks back to the beginnings of the phrase but is rarely used in modern times.
Boxing, a competitive sport involving regulated fistfights, has been popular since ancient Greek times. It enjoyed a renaissance in England and America in the 18th and 19th centuries, during which more modern rules, techniques and expressions originated. The phrase down and out was first recorded in 18 and simply meant that a losing boxer was knocked unconscious, having been knocked out by his opponent. The knockout is a common conclusion to many boxing matches. Down and out is one of many boxing phrases that have become common expressions outside the ring; others include down the count, shot for shot, and throwing in the towel.
Shortly after achieving popularity as a sports phrase, down and out came into general use as a term for anyone suffering from poverty. Figuratively speaking, it means that a person has been defeated by harsh economic circumstances, just as a boxer can be defeated by a stronger opponent. It gained widespread use during the Great Depression of the 1930s when many people around the world were poverty stricken. Its use, however, slightly predates the onset of the Depression in 1929. In 1923, songwriter Jimmy Cox wrote “Nobody Knows You When You’re Down and Out,” which became a hit for blues legend Bessie Smith in 1929.
The song, about a disgraced former millionaire, struck a chord with many people who were in similar circumstances. Like the later blues standard “God Bless the Child,” he laments that even those without money often find themselves friendless. In 1933, British author George Orwell published his first book, Down and Out in Paris and London. It is a testament to his impoverished life in the two cities during the 1920s. Orwell, of course, later came to international prominence as the author of Animal Farm and 1984.
In 1986, actors Nick Nolte and Richard Dreyfuss starred in Down and Out in Beverly Hills, about a homeless man who finds himself taken in by the wealthy California neighborhood. The blockbuster was the first R-rated film ever released by the family-friendly Walt Disney studio. In 1970 and again in 1992, rock legend Eric Clapton covered “Nobody Knows You When You’re Down and Out.” The song has also been performed by Janis Joplin, Rod Stewart and BB King, among others, becoming a celebrated blues and rock standard.
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