Make Your Point > Archived Issues > ROPE-A-DOPE
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pronounce
ROPE-A-DOPE:
Say it "ROPE uh dope."
To hear it, click here.
connect this word to others:
Today's term comes from the world of boxing.
And speaking of boxing, see if you can recall an elegant four-syllable synonym of shadowboxing:
From Greek roots meaning "shadow" and "battle," a s___machy is a fight with an imaginary person or thing.
(To reveal any word with blanks, give it a click.)
definition:
Above, watch as the boxing champion Muhammad Ali (on the left) leans against the ropes, exhausting his opponent (on the right) by letting him throw punch after punch.
It's a tactic called rope-a-dope. Ali, who invented this move, wins by making the other guy wear himself out while looking like a dope (like a dummy).
We use the word "rope-a-dope" figuratively to mean a game or a strategy where you let your opponents wear themselves out by attacking you again and again in a tiring, ineffective way.
grammatical bits:
Part of speech:
It's usually a noun: "They're playing rope-a-dope."
Sometimes, we use it as an adjective: "They have a rope-a-dope strategy."
And, some writers are starting to use it as a verb: "The play is to rope-a-dope the public into believing we’re the idiots" (Slate).
Other forms: None are common.
how to use it:
"Rope-a-dope" is colorful and easy to understand. It's slang, but we still find it in highbrow publications. So feel free to use it anywhere.
Talk about people playing rope-a-dope, or using rope-a-dope games, methods, or strategies.
Who does this, typically? Athletes, lawyers, politicians, businesspeople, and any other people competing for anything.
examples:
"Robert Atkinson accuses the Chinese of playing rope-a-dope, allowing the American administration to exhaust itself in ultimately futile complaints."
— The Economist, 12 April 2018
"Against a super-aggressive player...[one of] the two main defensive strategies [is] the Rope-a-Dope. By indicating an indifferent hand or perhaps a drawing pot, you encourage him to keep trying to push you out of the pot."
— Dan Harrington and Bill Robertie, Harrington on Hold 'em: Expert Strategy for No-limit Tournaments, 2004
has this page helped you understand "rope-a-dope"?
study it:
Explain the meaning of "rope-a-dope" without saying "tactic to fatigue your opponent" or "strategy of ducking punches."
try it out:
Writing for the New York Times on the subject of various Woody Allen characters in films, A. O. Scott says,
"His self-deprecation was a tactic, a feint, a rope-a-dope."
In other words, the character makes fun of himself a lot, and opens himself up to being made fun of by other people, too--but it all serves to his own advantage.
Talk about another person, real or fictional, who plays rope-a-dope this way. That is, who says or does things often that invite public criticism? And, rather than stinging them, how does this criticism actually feed that person's ego, make them more likable, increase their fame, or bolster their reputation?
before you review, play:
Try to spend 20 seconds or more on the game below. Don’t skip straight to the review—first, let your working memory empty out.
Our game this month is "Subject Line Crosswords."
We'll revisit some of the email subject lines from 2019 issues, using them as a tool for recall.
Each day this month, see if you can complete the mini-crossword with words we studied last year. If you need extra clues, look below the puzzle to view definitions and parts of speech. And I'll share the answers in the following issue. Enjoy!
From the previous issue:
Extra clues:
ACROSS
2. noun meaning "somebody's explanation or interpretation (of a text) that is too influenced by that person's own ideas"
3. noun meaning "a worker who does all kinds of tasks, or a thing that's useful in very many ways"
DOWN
1. adjective meaning "tailored to the customer, or made with great care, quality, and uniqueness"
Answers:
If you like, you can review the words eisegesis, factotum, and bespoke.
Try this today:
Extra clues:
ACROSS
1. adjective meaning "out of place in time, either behind the times or inappropriately futuristic"
3. adjective meaning "colorful, cartoonish, big-budget, fanciful, unrealistic, goody-goody, squeaky-clean, oversimplified, and/or romanticized"
DOWN
2. adjective meaning "sweet, teeny-tiny, or overly adorable--often in an annoying or insincere way"
review this word:
1. A near opposite of ROPE-A-DOPE is
A. WAITING.
B. EVADING.
C. SLUGGING.
2. Describing a famous photograph, Rosie Schaap wrote, "No rope-a-dope for this kid: She’s got one small, clenched _____."
A. shoulder
B. fist raised
C. jaw jutting out
a final word:
I hope you're enjoying Make Your Point. It's made with love.
I'm Liesl Johnson, a reading and writing tutor on a mission to explore, illuminate, and celebrate words.
From my blog:
36 ways to study words.
Why we forget words, & how to remember them.
How to use sophisticated words without being awkward.
To be a sponsor and include your ad in an issue, please contact me at Liesl@HiloTutor.com.
Disclaimer: When I write definitions, I use plain language and stick to the words' common, useful applications. If you're interested in authoritative and multiple definitions of words, I encourage you to check a dictionary. Also, because I'm American, I stick to American English when I share words' meanings, usage, and pronunciations; these elements sometimes vary across world Englishes.
Today's term comes from the world of boxing.
Above, watch as the boxing champion Muhammad Ali (on the left) leans against the ropes, exhausting his opponent (on the right) by letting him throw punch after punch.
Part of speech:
"Rope-a-dope" is colorful and easy to understand. It's slang, but we still find it in highbrow publications. So feel free to use it anywhere.
"Robert Atkinson accuses the Chinese of playing rope-a-dope, allowing the American administration to exhaust itself in ultimately futile complaints."
Explain the meaning of "rope-a-dope" without saying "tactic to fatigue your opponent" or "strategy of ducking punches."
Writing for the New York Times on the subject of various Woody Allen characters in films, A. O. Scott says,
Try to spend 20 seconds or more on the game below. Don’t skip straight to the review—first, let your working memory empty out.
Extra clues:
1. A near opposite of ROPE-A-DOPE is
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