Q.
All limits are lifted, do what you have to do, this is a ‘no holds barred’ situation. What’s the origin of this phrase?

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A.

‘No holds barred’ is rooted in the world of wrestling. While certain wrestling holds might be otherwise forbidden, this is not the case right now. As we see in the 1892 Harper’s Weekly, Volume 36:

‘Unquestionably, with unprincipled men as opponents, a weak-minded referee, and no-holds barred, a Catch-as-Catch-Can bout may become a brutal and very serious affair. The same may be said of any contest where the principals are determined on evading the rules, and doing one another as much damage as possible.’

For an example of the phrase used in a non-wrestling format, see Issue 8776 of The Economist, where we read of a ‘no-holds barred approach to going after gangsters, many of whom would have had links with corrupt officials.’

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