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Why is “bat down†not listed in any of major English dictionaries as an idiom, set phrase, collocation, which ever?
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I came across the following passage in September 17 “The Hill.†under the headline, “Trump says Kavanaugh may be delayed.â€Â:
“If it takes a little delay it’ll take a little delay.†Trump told
reporters at the White House. I’m sure it will work out very well.â€Â
Trump batted down a reporter who asked if Kavanaugh should withdraw,
calling it a “ridiculous question.â€Â
I took “bat down†as “snub†or “shut out,†and consulted online dictionaries to make it sure, and found none of them including Oxford, Cambridge, and Collins Cobuild listed “bat down,†though they list “beat down,†“pat down,†“sat down,†and you can name it.
An online English / French dictionary translates “bat down†as “dėmolir.â€Â
Google N gram shows that the use of “bat down†started in mid 19 century. It soared up in mid 20 century, dropped once, and regaining currency since 1990s.
I wonder exact meaning of “bat down,†and why the phrase is not shown in major dictionaries.
idiom-meaning
asked yesterday
Yoichi Oishi♦
34.4k104349723
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up vote
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I came across the following passage in September 17 “The Hill.†under the headline, “Trump says Kavanaugh may be delayed.â€Â:
“If it takes a little delay it’ll take a little delay.†Trump told
reporters at the White House. I’m sure it will work out very well.â€Â
Trump batted down a reporter who asked if Kavanaugh should withdraw,
calling it a “ridiculous question.â€Â
I took “bat down†as “snub†or “shut out,†and consulted online dictionaries to make it sure, and found none of them including Oxford, Cambridge, and Collins Cobuild listed “bat down,†though they list “beat down,†“pat down,†“sat down,†and you can name it.
An online English / French dictionary translates “bat down†as “dėmolir.â€Â
Google N gram shows that the use of “bat down†started in mid 19 century. It soared up in mid 20 century, dropped once, and regaining currency since 1990s.
I wonder exact meaning of “bat down,†and why the phrase is not shown in major dictionaries.
idiom-meaning
asked yesterday
Yoichi Oishi♦
34.4k104349723
1
I think there is a mishearing or a transposition going on. 'Pat down' is idiomatic and conveys the searching of someone by use of the hands in a patting motion. 'Bat away' is the use of hands to swipe away, say a wasp or bee. I suspect the writer of the piece is mixing idioms, myself.
– Nigel J
yesterday
@Nigel J. I reread the today's The Hill Beaking News to make sure if I misread the phrase in question. I was correct. It was exactly spelt as "batted down." But I felt relieved to find why dictionaries I consulted didn't list "bat down" because it's not an established idiom.
– Yoichi Oishi♦
yesterday
10
This isn't an idiom, just a metaphorical use of bat in the meaning to strike with or as if with a bat.
– choster
yesterday
3
@NigelJ I don't think there was any mis-hearing. "Bat down" is certainly familiar in British English - with a possible analogy to cricket, where hitting the ball into or along the ground means the batsman can't be out "caught", and is therefore safer than hitting the ball into the air.
– alephzero
20 hours ago
1
@YoichiOishi I totally disagree with the other naysayers here. 'to bat down' seems like a perfectly natural phrasal verb. "She batted down the lawyer's arguments", "When he went into the cave, he batted the spider webs down". I think the only real answer to your 'why' question is that dictionaries just aren't perfect. I don't see it in OED, but a cursory google search finds all sorts of its uses.
– Mitch
6 hours ago
 |Â
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3
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up vote
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favorite
I came across the following passage in September 17 “The Hill.†under the headline, “Trump says Kavanaugh may be delayed.â€Â:
“If it takes a little delay it’ll take a little delay.†Trump told
reporters at the White House. I’m sure it will work out very well.â€Â
Trump batted down a reporter who asked if Kavanaugh should withdraw,
calling it a “ridiculous question.â€Â
I took “bat down†as “snub†or “shut out,†and consulted online dictionaries to make it sure, and found none of them including Oxford, Cambridge, and Collins Cobuild listed “bat down,†though they list “beat down,†“pat down,†“sat down,†and you can name it.
An online English / French dictionary translates “bat down†as “dėmolir.â€Â
Google N gram shows that the use of “bat down†started in mid 19 century. It soared up in mid 20 century, dropped once, and regaining currency since 1990s.
I wonder exact meaning of “bat down,†and why the phrase is not shown in major dictionaries.
idiom-meaning
asked yesterday
Yoichi Oishi♦
34.4k104349723
I came across the following passage in September 17 “The Hill.†under the headline, “Trump says Kavanaugh may be delayed.â€Â:
“If it takes a little delay it’ll take a little delay.†Trump told
reporters at the White House. I’m sure it will work out very well.â€Â
Trump batted down a reporter who asked if Kavanaugh should withdraw,
calling it a “ridiculous question.â€Â
I took “bat down†as “snub†or “shut out,†and consulted online dictionaries to make it sure, and found none of them including Oxford, Cambridge, and Collins Cobuild listed “bat down,†though they list “beat down,†“pat down,†“sat down,†and you can name it.
An online English / French dictionary translates “bat down†as “dėmolir.â€Â
Google N gram shows that the use of “bat down†started in mid 19 century. It soared up in mid 20 century, dropped once, and regaining currency since 1990s.
I wonder exact meaning of “bat down,†and why the phrase is not shown in major dictionaries.
idiom-meaning
idiom-meaning
asked yesterday
Yoichi Oishi♦
34.4k104349723
asked yesterday
Yoichi Oishi♦
34.4k104349723
edited 20 mins ago
asked yesterday
Yoichi Oishi♦
34.4k104349723
asked yesterday
Yoichi Oishi♦
34.4k104349723
asked yesterday
Yoichi Oishi♦
34.4k104349723
34.4k104349723
1
I think there is a mishearing or a transposition going on. 'Pat down' is idiomatic and conveys the searching of someone by use of the hands in a patting motion. 'Bat away' is the use of hands to swipe away, say a wasp or bee. I suspect the writer of the piece is mixing idioms, myself.
– Nigel J
yesterday
@Nigel J. I reread the today's The Hill Beaking News to make sure if I misread the phrase in question. I was correct. It was exactly spelt as "batted down." But I felt relieved to find why dictionaries I consulted didn't list "bat down" because it's not an established idiom.
– Yoichi Oishi♦
yesterday
10
This isn't an idiom, just a metaphorical use of bat in the meaning to strike with or as if with a bat.
– choster
yesterday
3
@NigelJ I don't think there was any mis-hearing. "Bat down" is certainly familiar in British English - with a possible analogy to cricket, where hitting the ball into or along the ground means the batsman can't be out "caught", and is therefore safer than hitting the ball into the air.
– alephzero
20 hours ago
1
@YoichiOishi I totally disagree with the other naysayers here. 'to bat down' seems like a perfectly natural phrasal verb. "She batted down the lawyer's arguments", "When he went into the cave, he batted the spider webs down". I think the only real answer to your 'why' question is that dictionaries just aren't perfect. I don't see it in OED, but a cursory google search finds all sorts of its uses.
– Mitch
6 hours ago
 |Â
show 3 more comments
1
I think there is a mishearing or a transposition going on. 'Pat down' is idiomatic and conveys the searching of someone by use of the hands in a patting motion. 'Bat away' is the use of hands to swipe away, say a wasp or bee. I suspect the writer of the piece is mixing idioms, myself.
– Nigel J
yesterday
@Nigel J. I reread the today's The Hill Beaking News to make sure if I misread the phrase in question. I was correct. It was exactly spelt as "batted down." But I felt relieved to find why dictionaries I consulted didn't list "bat down" because it's not an established idiom.
– Yoichi Oishi♦
yesterday
10
This isn't an idiom, just a metaphorical use of bat in the meaning to strike with or as if with a bat.
– choster
yesterday
3
@NigelJ I don't think there was any mis-hearing. "Bat down" is certainly familiar in British English - with a possible analogy to cricket, where hitting the ball into or along the ground means the batsman can't be out "caught", and is therefore safer than hitting the ball into the air.
– alephzero
20 hours ago
1
@YoichiOishi I totally disagree with the other naysayers here. 'to bat down' seems like a perfectly natural phrasal verb. "She batted down the lawyer's arguments", "When he went into the cave, he batted the spider webs down". I think the only real answer to your 'why' question is that dictionaries just aren't perfect. I don't see it in OED, but a cursory google search finds all sorts of its uses.
– Mitch
6 hours ago
1
1
I think there is a mishearing or a transposition going on. 'Pat down' is idiomatic and conveys the searching of someone by use of the hands in a patting motion. 'Bat away' is the use of hands to swipe away, say a wasp or bee. I suspect the writer of the piece is mixing idioms, myself.
– Nigel J
yesterday
I think there is a mishearing or a transposition going on. 'Pat down' is idiomatic and conveys the searching of someone by use of the hands in a patting motion. 'Bat away' is the use of hands to swipe away, say a wasp or bee. I suspect the writer of the piece is mixing idioms, myself.
– Nigel J
yesterday
@Nigel J. I reread the today's The Hill Beaking News to make sure if I misread the phrase in question. I was correct. It was exactly spelt as "batted down." But I felt relieved to find why dictionaries I consulted didn't list "bat down" because it's not an established idiom.
– Yoichi Oishi♦
yesterday
@Nigel J. I reread the today's The Hill Beaking News to make sure if I misread the phrase in question. I was correct. It was exactly spelt as "batted down." But I felt relieved to find why dictionaries I consulted didn't list "bat down" because it's not an established idiom.
– Yoichi Oishi♦
yesterday
10
10
This isn't an idiom, just a metaphorical use of bat in the meaning to strike with or as if with a bat.
– choster
yesterday
This isn't an idiom, just a metaphorical use of bat in the meaning to strike with or as if with a bat.
– choster
yesterday
3
3
@NigelJ I don't think there was any mis-hearing. "Bat down" is certainly familiar in British English - with a possible analogy to cricket, where hitting the ball into or along the ground means the batsman can't be out "caught", and is therefore safer than hitting the ball into the air.
– alephzero
20 hours ago
@NigelJ I don't think there was any mis-hearing. "Bat down" is certainly familiar in British English - with a possible analogy to cricket, where hitting the ball into or along the ground means the batsman can't be out "caught", and is therefore safer than hitting the ball into the air.
– alephzero
20 hours ago
1
1
@YoichiOishi I totally disagree with the other naysayers here. 'to bat down' seems like a perfectly natural phrasal verb. "She batted down the lawyer's arguments", "When he went into the cave, he batted the spider webs down". I think the only real answer to your 'why' question is that dictionaries just aren't perfect. I don't see it in OED, but a cursory google search finds all sorts of its uses.
– Mitch
6 hours ago
@YoichiOishi I totally disagree with the other naysayers here. 'to bat down' seems like a perfectly natural phrasal verb. "She batted down the lawyer's arguments", "When he went into the cave, he batted the spider webs down". I think the only real answer to your 'why' question is that dictionaries just aren't perfect. I don't see it in OED, but a cursory google search finds all sorts of its uses.
– Mitch
6 hours ago
 |Â
show 3 more comments
5 Answers
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The expression doesn't come from baseball, but from the more general sense of "strike with a baton". When you "bat" something, you hit it with the palm of your hand, and generally without much concern where it goes, so long as it goes away from you.
If a question is "batted away" or "batted down", it is dismissed without much concern, or much grace.
edited 18 hours ago
Andrew Morton
1033
answered yesterday
Malvolio
24.2k84785
2
I think this answer is correct—not least in replacing the odd wording "batting down a reporter" with the more idiomatically normal "batting down a question [from a reporter]." The image I have is of someone beset by large, slow-flying bugs that the person attempts to disperse by swatting at them, knocking to the ground the ones successfully struck.
– Sven Yargs
yesterday
Yep, "bat down" is more or less synonymous with "bat away". It'd be useful to include a reference for "bat away", e.g. yourdictionary.com/bat-away; though I have to admit I prefer your definition to the one given by my reference!
– AndyT
20 hours ago
1
I think the sense of batting down is ckearly metaphorical but directed more to the reporter rather than their question itself. That would fit with the impulsive reaction of the President at hearing such a disturbing request.
– user070221
18 hours ago
This answer is good. In English, we bat many, many things and they can be batted up, batted down, batted around, and probably some I can't think off. Bat down makes one think of a dog trying to get bits of food from a tabletop.
– Lambie
8 hours ago
add a comment |Â
up vote
19
down vote
I think the real answer is that "bat down" is not listed as an idiom because it is a natural figurative phrase that uses the first verbal sense of bat defined in the OED:
To strike with, or as with, a bat; to cudgel, thrash, beat.
Because the word "bat" can be replaced with synonyms, the phrase functions more as a metaphor than an idiom.
Trump batted down a reporter['s question].
Trump swatted down a reporter['s question].
Trump struck down a reporter['s question].
If to bat down was an idiom, it would come with a bundle of synonymic idioms as shown above. Instead, any could be considered a figurative metaphor for dismissing the reporter's question.
Trump dismissed a reporter['s question].
answered yesterday
RaceYouAnytime
18.4k24095
Strike down means to nullify, swat down sounds weird, so i am not quite sure what it is you are trying to prove.
– loonquawl
yesterday
@loonquawl The answer seems to be in line with actual usage. Struck down has multiple meanings depending on the context, including metaphorical, as the answer says. collinsdictionary.com/us/dictionary/english/strike-down Swatted down doesn't have an entry at Collins but judging by the results of this Google search is used the same way. google.com/search?q=define+%22swatted+down%22
– MetaEd♦
13 hours ago
add a comment |Â
up vote
5
down vote
the closest sounding idiom is batten down the hatches, but with an entirely different meaning. TFD
To bat down is not idiomatic ... it simply means to knock someone or something down as if with a bat, and in Trump's case it is figuratively done.
As in:
Trump dismissed/ knocked down (fig.) a reporter who asked if
Kavanaugh should withdraw, calling it a “ridiculous question.â€Â
answered yesterday
lbf
13.1k21353
5
That's only very loosely connected. When batten down the hatches, you fasten the hatches with a piece of wood called, of course, a batten, thereby rendering your watercraft more capable of weathering high seas. When "bat down" something, you strike it with a piece of wood called a "bat" or "baton". Etymologically, the words are all related, but the phrases have a very different history.
– Malvolio
yesterday
1
@Malvolio noted and so edited.
– lbf
yesterday
4
@Malvolio is being generous. The two terms are functionally unrelated.
– T.E.D.
18 hours ago
1
@T.E.D. Is being generous. The two terms are completely unrelated.
– David Richerby
12 hours ago
add a comment |Â
up vote
1
down vote
Batted down is a term used in American football for when a pass is struck down by a defender before the intended receiver is able to catch it.
What is Passes Batted Down?
Any time a defensive player makes contact with a forward pass that causes an incompletion. A pass can be batted down by any defensive player, but the defender cannot make contact with the receiver before the ball is touched. The most common kinds of batted passes are when a defensive back tips a ball away from a receiver, and when a defensive lineman deflects a ball during a pass rush.
Also referred to as "Passes Defensed".
https://www.sportingcharts.com/dictionary/nfl/passes-batted-down.aspx
The metaphor makes sense in the phrase Trump batted down a reporter if you compare a question asked by a reporter to a pass thrown by a quarterback.
The Google ngram results (surge in popularity in mid-20th century, again in 1990s) matches the ascendancy of the NFL in American culture.
answered 10 hours ago
user22a6db72d7249
1669
Very good find! I have honestly never seen this used before (native speaker, US) -- so I think the other answers are all quite valid, but clearly this was the intended usage by the article writer.
– Michelle C. Funk
8 hours ago
add a comment |Â
up vote
1
down vote
The phrase "to bat down" is not necessarily an idiom of English.
In fact, phrase has been removed from the originally cited article.
It's possible the original source article was from this site, "Conservative Politics Today." The author of this article may not be a native English speaker, but it's hard to tell. The author, "Howard Roark," is probably a pseudonym since it's the same as the lead character in Ayn Rand's novel The Fountainhead.
answered 9 hours ago
mxmoss
112
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5 Answers
5
active
oldest
votes
5 Answers
5
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
up vote
34
down vote
The expression doesn't come from baseball, but from the more general sense of "strike with a baton". When you "bat" something, you hit it with the palm of your hand, and generally without much concern where it goes, so long as it goes away from you.
If a question is "batted away" or "batted down", it is dismissed without much concern, or much grace.
edited 18 hours ago
Andrew Morton
1033
answered yesterday
Malvolio
24.2k84785
2
I think this answer is correct—not least in replacing the odd wording "batting down a reporter" with the more idiomatically normal "batting down a question [from a reporter]." The image I have is of someone beset by large, slow-flying bugs that the person attempts to disperse by swatting at them, knocking to the ground the ones successfully struck.
– Sven Yargs
yesterday
Yep, "bat down" is more or less synonymous with "bat away". It'd be useful to include a reference for "bat away", e.g. yourdictionary.com/bat-away; though I have to admit I prefer your definition to the one given by my reference!
– AndyT
20 hours ago
1
I think the sense of batting down is ckearly metaphorical but directed more to the reporter rather than their question itself. That would fit with the impulsive reaction of the President at hearing such a disturbing request.
– user070221
18 hours ago
This answer is good. In English, we bat many, many things and they can be batted up, batted down, batted around, and probably some I can't think off. Bat down makes one think of a dog trying to get bits of food from a tabletop.
– Lambie
8 hours ago
add a comment |Â
up vote
34
down vote
The expression doesn't come from baseball, but from the more general sense of "strike with a baton". When you "bat" something, you hit it with the palm of your hand, and generally without much concern where it goes, so long as it goes away from you.
If a question is "batted away" or "batted down", it is dismissed without much concern, or much grace.
edited 18 hours ago
Andrew Morton
1033
answered yesterday
Malvolio
24.2k84785
2
I think this answer is correct—not least in replacing the odd wording "batting down a reporter" with the more idiomatically normal "batting down a question [from a reporter]." The image I have is of someone beset by large, slow-flying bugs that the person attempts to disperse by swatting at them, knocking to the ground the ones successfully struck.
– Sven Yargs
yesterday
Yep, "bat down" is more or less synonymous with "bat away". It'd be useful to include a reference for "bat away", e.g. yourdictionary.com/bat-away; though I have to admit I prefer your definition to the one given by my reference!
– AndyT
20 hours ago
1
I think the sense of batting down is ckearly metaphorical but directed more to the reporter rather than their question itself. That would fit with the impulsive reaction of the President at hearing such a disturbing request.
– user070221
18 hours ago
This answer is good. In English, we bat many, many things and they can be batted up, batted down, batted around, and probably some I can't think off. Bat down makes one think of a dog trying to get bits of food from a tabletop.
– Lambie
8 hours ago
add a comment |Â
up vote
34
down vote
up vote
34
down vote
The expression doesn't come from baseball, but from the more general sense of "strike with a baton". When you "bat" something, you hit it with the palm of your hand, and generally without much concern where it goes, so long as it goes away from you.
If a question is "batted away" or "batted down", it is dismissed without much concern, or much grace.
edited 18 hours ago
Andrew Morton
1033
answered yesterday
Malvolio
24.2k84785
The expression doesn't come from baseball, but from the more general sense of "strike with a baton". When you "bat" something, you hit it with the palm of your hand, and generally without much concern where it goes, so long as it goes away from you.
If a question is "batted away" or "batted down", it is dismissed without much concern, or much grace.
edited 18 hours ago
Andrew Morton
1033
answered yesterday
Malvolio
24.2k84785
edited 18 hours ago
Andrew Morton
1033
edited 18 hours ago
Andrew Morton
1033
edited 18 hours ago
Andrew Morton
1033
1033
answered yesterday
Malvolio
24.2k84785
answered yesterday
Malvolio
24.2k84785
answered yesterday
Malvolio
24.2k84785
24.2k84785
2
I think this answer is correct—not least in replacing the odd wording "batting down a reporter" with the more idiomatically normal "batting down a question [from a reporter]." The image I have is of someone beset by large, slow-flying bugs that the person attempts to disperse by swatting at them, knocking to the ground the ones successfully struck.
– Sven Yargs
yesterday
Yep, "bat down" is more or less synonymous with "bat away". It'd be useful to include a reference for "bat away", e.g. yourdictionary.com/bat-away; though I have to admit I prefer your definition to the one given by my reference!
– AndyT
20 hours ago
1
I think the sense of batting down is ckearly metaphorical but directed more to the reporter rather than their question itself. That would fit with the impulsive reaction of the President at hearing such a disturbing request.
– user070221
18 hours ago
This answer is good. In English, we bat many, many things and they can be batted up, batted down, batted around, and probably some I can't think off. Bat down makes one think of a dog trying to get bits of food from a tabletop.
– Lambie
8 hours ago
add a comment |Â
2
I think this answer is correct—not least in replacing the odd wording "batting down a reporter" with the more idiomatically normal "batting down a question [from a reporter]." The image I have is of someone beset by large, slow-flying bugs that the person attempts to disperse by swatting at them, knocking to the ground the ones successfully struck.
– Sven Yargs
yesterday
Yep, "bat down" is more or less synonymous with "bat away". It'd be useful to include a reference for "bat away", e.g. yourdictionary.com/bat-away; though I have to admit I prefer your definition to the one given by my reference!
– AndyT
20 hours ago
1
I think the sense of batting down is ckearly metaphorical but directed more to the reporter rather than their question itself. That would fit with the impulsive reaction of the President at hearing such a disturbing request.
– user070221
18 hours ago
This answer is good. In English, we bat many, many things and they can be batted up, batted down, batted around, and probably some I can't think off. Bat down makes one think of a dog trying to get bits of food from a tabletop.
– Lambie
8 hours ago
2
2
I think this answer is correct—not least in replacing the odd wording "batting down a reporter" with the more idiomatically normal "batting down a question [from a reporter]." The image I have is of someone beset by large, slow-flying bugs that the person attempts to disperse by swatting at them, knocking to the ground the ones successfully struck.
– Sven Yargs
yesterday
I think this answer is correct—not least in replacing the odd wording "batting down a reporter" with the more idiomatically normal "batting down a question [from a reporter]." The image I have is of someone beset by large, slow-flying bugs that the person attempts to disperse by swatting at them, knocking to the ground the ones successfully struck.
– Sven Yargs
yesterday
Yep, "bat down" is more or less synonymous with "bat away". It'd be useful to include a reference for "bat away", e.g. yourdictionary.com/bat-away; though I have to admit I prefer your definition to the one given by my reference!
– AndyT
20 hours ago
Yep, "bat down" is more or less synonymous with "bat away". It'd be useful to include a reference for "bat away", e.g. yourdictionary.com/bat-away; though I have to admit I prefer your definition to the one given by my reference!
– AndyT
20 hours ago
1
1
I think the sense of batting down is ckearly metaphorical but directed more to the reporter rather than their question itself. That would fit with the impulsive reaction of the President at hearing such a disturbing request.
– user070221
18 hours ago
I think the sense of batting down is ckearly metaphorical but directed more to the reporter rather than their question itself. That would fit with the impulsive reaction of the President at hearing such a disturbing request.
– user070221
18 hours ago
This answer is good. In English, we bat many, many things and they can be batted up, batted down, batted around, and probably some I can't think off. Bat down makes one think of a dog trying to get bits of food from a tabletop.
– Lambie
8 hours ago
This answer is good. In English, we bat many, many things and they can be batted up, batted down, batted around, and probably some I can't think off. Bat down makes one think of a dog trying to get bits of food from a tabletop.
– Lambie
8 hours ago
add a comment |Â
up vote
19
down vote
I think the real answer is that "bat down" is not listed as an idiom because it is a natural figurative phrase that uses the first verbal sense of bat defined in the OED:
To strike with, or as with, a bat; to cudgel, thrash, beat.
Because the word "bat" can be replaced with synonyms, the phrase functions more as a metaphor than an idiom.
Trump batted down a reporter['s question].
Trump swatted down a reporter['s question].
Trump struck down a reporter['s question].
If to bat down was an idiom, it would come with a bundle of synonymic idioms as shown above. Instead, any could be considered a figurative metaphor for dismissing the reporter's question.
Trump dismissed a reporter['s question].
answered yesterday
RaceYouAnytime
18.4k24095
Strike down means to nullify, swat down sounds weird, so i am not quite sure what it is you are trying to prove.
– loonquawl
yesterday
@loonquawl The answer seems to be in line with actual usage. Struck down has multiple meanings depending on the context, including metaphorical, as the answer says. collinsdictionary.com/us/dictionary/english/strike-down Swatted down doesn't have an entry at Collins but judging by the results of this Google search is used the same way. google.com/search?q=define+%22swatted+down%22
– MetaEd♦
13 hours ago
add a comment |Â
up vote
19
down vote
I think the real answer is that "bat down" is not listed as an idiom because it is a natural figurative phrase that uses the first verbal sense of bat defined in the OED:
To strike with, or as with, a bat; to cudgel, thrash, beat.
Because the word "bat" can be replaced with synonyms, the phrase functions more as a metaphor than an idiom.
Trump batted down a reporter['s question].
Trump swatted down a reporter['s question].
Trump struck down a reporter['s question].
If to bat down was an idiom, it would come with a bundle of synonymic idioms as shown above. Instead, any could be considered a figurative metaphor for dismissing the reporter's question.
Trump dismissed a reporter['s question].
answered yesterday
RaceYouAnytime
18.4k24095
Strike down means to nullify, swat down sounds weird, so i am not quite sure what it is you are trying to prove.
– loonquawl
yesterday
@loonquawl The answer seems to be in line with actual usage. Struck down has multiple meanings depending on the context, including metaphorical, as the answer says. collinsdictionary.com/us/dictionary/english/strike-down Swatted down doesn't have an entry at Collins but judging by the results of this Google search is used the same way. google.com/search?q=define+%22swatted+down%22
– MetaEd♦
13 hours ago
add a comment |Â
up vote
19
down vote
up vote
19
down vote
I think the real answer is that "bat down" is not listed as an idiom because it is a natural figurative phrase that uses the first verbal sense of bat defined in the OED:
To strike with, or as with, a bat; to cudgel, thrash, beat.
Because the word "bat" can be replaced with synonyms, the phrase functions more as a metaphor than an idiom.
Trump batted down a reporter['s question].
Trump swatted down a reporter['s question].
Trump struck down a reporter['s question].
If to bat down was an idiom, it would come with a bundle of synonymic idioms as shown above. Instead, any could be considered a figurative metaphor for dismissing the reporter's question.
Trump dismissed a reporter['s question].
answered yesterday
RaceYouAnytime
18.4k24095
I think the real answer is that "bat down" is not listed as an idiom because it is a natural figurative phrase that uses the first verbal sense of bat defined in the OED:
To strike with, or as with, a bat; to cudgel, thrash, beat.
Because the word "bat" can be replaced with synonyms, the phrase functions more as a metaphor than an idiom.
Trump batted down a reporter['s question].
Trump swatted down a reporter['s question].
Trump struck down a reporter['s question].
If to bat down was an idiom, it would come with a bundle of synonymic idioms as shown above. Instead, any could be considered a figurative metaphor for dismissing the reporter's question.
Trump dismissed a reporter['s question].
answered yesterday
RaceYouAnytime
18.4k24095
answered yesterday
RaceYouAnytime
18.4k24095
answered yesterday
RaceYouAnytime
18.4k24095
answered yesterday
RaceYouAnytime
18.4k24095
18.4k24095
Strike down means to nullify, swat down sounds weird, so i am not quite sure what it is you are trying to prove.
– loonquawl
yesterday
@loonquawl The answer seems to be in line with actual usage. Struck down has multiple meanings depending on the context, including metaphorical, as the answer says. collinsdictionary.com/us/dictionary/english/strike-down Swatted down doesn't have an entry at Collins but judging by the results of this Google search is used the same way. google.com/search?q=define+%22swatted+down%22
– MetaEd♦
13 hours ago
add a comment |Â
Strike down means to nullify, swat down sounds weird, so i am not quite sure what it is you are trying to prove.
– loonquawl
yesterday
@loonquawl The answer seems to be in line with actual usage. Struck down has multiple meanings depending on the context, including metaphorical, as the answer says. collinsdictionary.com/us/dictionary/english/strike-down Swatted down doesn't have an entry at Collins but judging by the results of this Google search is used the same way. google.com/search?q=define+%22swatted+down%22
– MetaEd♦
13 hours ago
Strike down means to nullify, swat down sounds weird, so i am not quite sure what it is you are trying to prove.
– loonquawl
yesterday
Strike down means to nullify, swat down sounds weird, so i am not quite sure what it is you are trying to prove.
– loonquawl
yesterday
@loonquawl The answer seems to be in line with actual usage. Struck down has multiple meanings depending on the context, including metaphorical, as the answer says. collinsdictionary.com/us/dictionary/english/strike-down Swatted down doesn't have an entry at Collins but judging by the results of this Google search is used the same way. google.com/search?q=define+%22swatted+down%22
– MetaEd♦
13 hours ago
@loonquawl The answer seems to be in line with actual usage. Struck down has multiple meanings depending on the context, including metaphorical, as the answer says. collinsdictionary.com/us/dictionary/english/strike-down Swatted down doesn't have an entry at Collins but judging by the results of this Google search is used the same way. google.com/search?q=define+%22swatted+down%22
– MetaEd♦
13 hours ago
add a comment |Â
up vote
5
down vote
the closest sounding idiom is batten down the hatches, but with an entirely different meaning. TFD
To bat down is not idiomatic ... it simply means to knock someone or something down as if with a bat, and in Trump's case it is figuratively done.
As in:
Trump dismissed/ knocked down (fig.) a reporter who asked if
Kavanaugh should withdraw, calling it a “ridiculous question.â€Â
answered yesterday
lbf
13.1k21353
5
That's only very loosely connected. When batten down the hatches, you fasten the hatches with a piece of wood called, of course, a batten, thereby rendering your watercraft more capable of weathering high seas. When "bat down" something, you strike it with a piece of wood called a "bat" or "baton". Etymologically, the words are all related, but the phrases have a very different history.
– Malvolio
yesterday
1
@Malvolio noted and so edited.
– lbf
yesterday
4
@Malvolio is being generous. The two terms are functionally unrelated.
– T.E.D.
18 hours ago
1
@T.E.D. Is being generous. The two terms are completely unrelated.
– David Richerby
12 hours ago
add a comment |Â
up vote
5
down vote
the closest sounding idiom is batten down the hatches, but with an entirely different meaning. TFD
To bat down is not idiomatic ... it simply means to knock someone or something down as if with a bat, and in Trump's case it is figuratively done.
As in:
Trump dismissed/ knocked down (fig.) a reporter who asked if
Kavanaugh should withdraw, calling it a “ridiculous question.â€Â
answered yesterday
lbf
13.1k21353
5
That's only very loosely connected. When batten down the hatches, you fasten the hatches with a piece of wood called, of course, a batten, thereby rendering your watercraft more capable of weathering high seas. When "bat down" something, you strike it with a piece of wood called a "bat" or "baton". Etymologically, the words are all related, but the phrases have a very different history.
– Malvolio
yesterday
1
@Malvolio noted and so edited.
– lbf
yesterday
4
@Malvolio is being generous. The two terms are functionally unrelated.
– T.E.D.
18 hours ago
1
@T.E.D. Is being generous. The two terms are completely unrelated.
– David Richerby
12 hours ago
add a comment |Â
up vote
5
down vote
up vote
5
down vote
the closest sounding idiom is batten down the hatches, but with an entirely different meaning. TFD
To bat down is not idiomatic ... it simply means to knock someone or something down as if with a bat, and in Trump's case it is figuratively done.
As in:
Trump dismissed/ knocked down (fig.) a reporter who asked if
Kavanaugh should withdraw, calling it a “ridiculous question.â€Â
answered yesterday
lbf
13.1k21353
the closest sounding idiom is batten down the hatches, but with an entirely different meaning. TFD
To bat down is not idiomatic ... it simply means to knock someone or something down as if with a bat, and in Trump's case it is figuratively done.
As in:
Trump dismissed/ knocked down (fig.) a reporter who asked if
Kavanaugh should withdraw, calling it a “ridiculous question.â€Â
answered yesterday
lbf
13.1k21353
edited yesterday
answered yesterday
lbf
13.1k21353
answered yesterday
lbf
13.1k21353
answered yesterday
lbf
13.1k21353
13.1k21353
5
That's only very loosely connected. When batten down the hatches, you fasten the hatches with a piece of wood called, of course, a batten, thereby rendering your watercraft more capable of weathering high seas. When "bat down" something, you strike it with a piece of wood called a "bat" or "baton". Etymologically, the words are all related, but the phrases have a very different history.
– Malvolio
yesterday
1
@Malvolio noted and so edited.
– lbf
yesterday
4
@Malvolio is being generous. The two terms are functionally unrelated.
– T.E.D.
18 hours ago
1
@T.E.D. Is being generous. The two terms are completely unrelated.
– David Richerby
12 hours ago
add a comment |Â
5
That's only very loosely connected. When batten down the hatches, you fasten the hatches with a piece of wood called, of course, a batten, thereby rendering your watercraft more capable of weathering high seas. When "bat down" something, you strike it with a piece of wood called a "bat" or "baton". Etymologically, the words are all related, but the phrases have a very different history.
– Malvolio
yesterday
1
@Malvolio noted and so edited.
– lbf
yesterday
4
@Malvolio is being generous. The two terms are functionally unrelated.
– T.E.D.
18 hours ago
1
@T.E.D. Is being generous. The two terms are completely unrelated.
– David Richerby
12 hours ago
5
5
That's only very loosely connected. When batten down the hatches, you fasten the hatches with a piece of wood called, of course, a batten, thereby rendering your watercraft more capable of weathering high seas. When "bat down" something, you strike it with a piece of wood called a "bat" or "baton". Etymologically, the words are all related, but the phrases have a very different history.
– Malvolio
yesterday
That's only very loosely connected. When batten down the hatches, you fasten the hatches with a piece of wood called, of course, a batten, thereby rendering your watercraft more capable of weathering high seas. When "bat down" something, you strike it with a piece of wood called a "bat" or "baton". Etymologically, the words are all related, but the phrases have a very different history.
– Malvolio
yesterday
1
1
@Malvolio noted and so edited.
– lbf
yesterday
@Malvolio noted and so edited.
– lbf
yesterday
4
4
@Malvolio is being generous. The two terms are functionally unrelated.
– T.E.D.
18 hours ago
@Malvolio is being generous. The two terms are functionally unrelated.
– T.E.D.
18 hours ago
1
1
@T.E.D. Is being generous. The two terms are completely unrelated.
– David Richerby
12 hours ago
@T.E.D. Is being generous. The two terms are completely unrelated.
– David Richerby
12 hours ago
add a comment |Â
up vote
1
down vote
Batted down is a term used in American football for when a pass is struck down by a defender before the intended receiver is able to catch it.
What is Passes Batted Down?
Any time a defensive player makes contact with a forward pass that causes an incompletion. A pass can be batted down by any defensive player, but the defender cannot make contact with the receiver before the ball is touched. The most common kinds of batted passes are when a defensive back tips a ball away from a receiver, and when a defensive lineman deflects a ball during a pass rush.
Also referred to as "Passes Defensed".
https://www.sportingcharts.com/dictionary/nfl/passes-batted-down.aspx
The metaphor makes sense in the phrase Trump batted down a reporter if you compare a question asked by a reporter to a pass thrown by a quarterback.
The Google ngram results (surge in popularity in mid-20th century, again in 1990s) matches the ascendancy of the NFL in American culture.
answered 10 hours ago
user22a6db72d7249
1669
Very good find! I have honestly never seen this used before (native speaker, US) -- so I think the other answers are all quite valid, but clearly this was the intended usage by the article writer.
– Michelle C. Funk
8 hours ago
add a comment |Â
up vote
1
down vote
Batted down is a term used in American football for when a pass is struck down by a defender before the intended receiver is able to catch it.
What is Passes Batted Down?
Any time a defensive player makes contact with a forward pass that causes an incompletion. A pass can be batted down by any defensive player, but the defender cannot make contact with the receiver before the ball is touched. The most common kinds of batted passes are when a defensive back tips a ball away from a receiver, and when a defensive lineman deflects a ball during a pass rush.
Also referred to as "Passes Defensed".
https://www.sportingcharts.com/dictionary/nfl/passes-batted-down.aspx
The metaphor makes sense in the phrase Trump batted down a reporter if you compare a question asked by a reporter to a pass thrown by a quarterback.
The Google ngram results (surge in popularity in mid-20th century, again in 1990s) matches the ascendancy of the NFL in American culture.
answered 10 hours ago
user22a6db72d7249
1669
Very good find! I have honestly never seen this used before (native speaker, US) -- so I think the other answers are all quite valid, but clearly this was the intended usage by the article writer.
– Michelle C. Funk
8 hours ago
add a comment |Â
up vote
1
down vote
up vote
1
down vote
Batted down is a term used in American football for when a pass is struck down by a defender before the intended receiver is able to catch it.
What is Passes Batted Down?
Any time a defensive player makes contact with a forward pass that causes an incompletion. A pass can be batted down by any defensive player, but the defender cannot make contact with the receiver before the ball is touched. The most common kinds of batted passes are when a defensive back tips a ball away from a receiver, and when a defensive lineman deflects a ball during a pass rush.
Also referred to as "Passes Defensed".
https://www.sportingcharts.com/dictionary/nfl/passes-batted-down.aspx
The metaphor makes sense in the phrase Trump batted down a reporter if you compare a question asked by a reporter to a pass thrown by a quarterback.
The Google ngram results (surge in popularity in mid-20th century, again in 1990s) matches the ascendancy of the NFL in American culture.
answered 10 hours ago
user22a6db72d7249
1669
Batted down is a term used in American football for when a pass is struck down by a defender before the intended receiver is able to catch it.
What is Passes Batted Down?
Any time a defensive player makes contact with a forward pass that causes an incompletion. A pass can be batted down by any defensive player, but the defender cannot make contact with the receiver before the ball is touched. The most common kinds of batted passes are when a defensive back tips a ball away from a receiver, and when a defensive lineman deflects a ball during a pass rush.
Also referred to as "Passes Defensed".
https://www.sportingcharts.com/dictionary/nfl/passes-batted-down.aspx
The metaphor makes sense in the phrase Trump batted down a reporter if you compare a question asked by a reporter to a pass thrown by a quarterback.
The Google ngram results (surge in popularity in mid-20th century, again in 1990s) matches the ascendancy of the NFL in American culture.
answered 10 hours ago
user22a6db72d7249
1669
edited 10 hours ago
answered 10 hours ago
user22a6db72d7249
1669
answered 10 hours ago
user22a6db72d7249
1669
answered 10 hours ago
user22a6db72d7249
1669
1669
Very good find! I have honestly never seen this used before (native speaker, US) -- so I think the other answers are all quite valid, but clearly this was the intended usage by the article writer.
– Michelle C. Funk
8 hours ago
add a comment |Â
Very good find! I have honestly never seen this used before (native speaker, US) -- so I think the other answers are all quite valid, but clearly this was the intended usage by the article writer.
– Michelle C. Funk
8 hours ago
Very good find! I have honestly never seen this used before (native speaker, US) -- so I think the other answers are all quite valid, but clearly this was the intended usage by the article writer.
– Michelle C. Funk
8 hours ago
Very good find! I have honestly never seen this used before (native speaker, US) -- so I think the other answers are all quite valid, but clearly this was the intended usage by the article writer.
– Michelle C. Funk
8 hours ago
add a comment |Â
up vote
1
down vote
The phrase "to bat down" is not necessarily an idiom of English.
In fact, phrase has been removed from the originally cited article.
It's possible the original source article was from this site, "Conservative Politics Today." The author of this article may not be a native English speaker, but it's hard to tell. The author, "Howard Roark," is probably a pseudonym since it's the same as the lead character in Ayn Rand's novel The Fountainhead.
answered 9 hours ago
mxmoss
112
New contributor
mxmoss is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
add a comment |Â
up vote
1
down vote
The phrase "to bat down" is not necessarily an idiom of English.
In fact, phrase has been removed from the originally cited article.
It's possible the original source article was from this site, "Conservative Politics Today." The author of this article may not be a native English speaker, but it's hard to tell. The author, "Howard Roark," is probably a pseudonym since it's the same as the lead character in Ayn Rand's novel The Fountainhead.
answered 9 hours ago
mxmoss
112
New contributor
mxmoss is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
add a comment |Â
up vote
1
down vote
up vote
1
down vote
The phrase "to bat down" is not necessarily an idiom of English.
In fact, phrase has been removed from the originally cited article.
It's possible the original source article was from this site, "Conservative Politics Today." The author of this article may not be a native English speaker, but it's hard to tell. The author, "Howard Roark," is probably a pseudonym since it's the same as the lead character in Ayn Rand's novel The Fountainhead.
answered 9 hours ago
mxmoss
112
New contributor
mxmoss is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
The phrase "to bat down" is not necessarily an idiom of English.
In fact, phrase has been removed from the originally cited article.
It's possible the original source article was from this site, "Conservative Politics Today." The author of this article may not be a native English speaker, but it's hard to tell. The author, "Howard Roark," is probably a pseudonym since it's the same as the lead character in Ayn Rand's novel The Fountainhead.
answered 9 hours ago
mxmoss
112
New contributor
mxmoss is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
answered 9 hours ago
mxmoss
112
New contributor
mxmoss is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
answered 9 hours ago
mxmoss
112
answered 9 hours ago
mxmoss
112
112
New contributor
mxmoss is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
New contributor
mxmoss is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
mxmoss is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
add a comment |Â
add a comment |Â
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1
I think there is a mishearing or a transposition going on. 'Pat down' is idiomatic and conveys the searching of someone by use of the hands in a patting motion. 'Bat away' is the use of hands to swipe away, say a wasp or bee. I suspect the writer of the piece is mixing idioms, myself.
– Nigel J
yesterday
@Nigel J. I reread the today's The Hill Beaking News to make sure if I misread the phrase in question. I was correct. It was exactly spelt as "batted down." But I felt relieved to find why dictionaries I consulted didn't list "bat down" because it's not an established idiom.
– Yoichi Oishi♦
yesterday
10
This isn't an idiom, just a metaphorical use of bat in the meaning to strike with or as if with a bat.
– choster
yesterday
3
@NigelJ I don't think there was any mis-hearing. "Bat down" is certainly familiar in British English - with a possible analogy to cricket, where hitting the ball into or along the ground means the batsman can't be out "caught", and is therefore safer than hitting the ball into the air.
– alephzero
20 hours ago
1
@YoichiOishi I totally disagree with the other naysayers here. 'to bat down' seems like a perfectly natural phrasal verb. "She batted down the lawyer's arguments", "When he went into the cave, he batted the spider webs down". I think the only real answer to your 'why' question is that dictionaries just aren't perfect. I don't see it in OED, but a cursory google search finds all sorts of its uses.
– Mitch
6 hours ago