Packs more punch

Posted by R. Berg on July 27, 2001

In Reply to: Help!! Does anyone know . . . posted by Sara Jane on July 27, 2001

: What exactly the phrase "packs more punch" means and where it came from???

: Thanks!

The definitions of "punch" in the Dict. of Amer. Slang include "Force; meaning; pungency." Presumably the idea is "impact" and the origin is boxing. To pack a punch is to have the potential to cause a major impact, as a fighter's fist does. A typical nonliteral use: A fiery brand of taco sauce would pack more punch than its mild competitor.

• Packs more punch ESC 07/29/01