English

Adjective

down for the count ‎(not comparable)

1. (idiomatic) Decisively beaten; defeated; rendered irrelevant for the long term.
   • 1912, Harold MacGrath, The Place of Honeymoons, ch. 7:

     “But what puts me down for the count is the action of the fellow. Never showed up; just made her miss two performances.”

   • 1991 Nov. 4, Allan Kozinn, "Despite Odds, Many of Them, A Bedeviled Orchestra Persists," New York Times (retrieved 9 May 2013):

     But every time the music world thought it was down for the count, the orchestra has managed to rise again.

   • 2002 March 11, "Veni, Vidi, Gucci," Time:

     So, while Europe is still groggy and the U.S. is just starting to show signs of a pulse (and Japan of course is still down for the count), little Korea will grow anywhere from 3.2% to 6% this year.

See also

• saved by the bell