Talk:beat to the punch

I have always wondered, does "punch" in "beat to the punch" refer to a blow, or to the drink? Does it mean that someone hit (struck) first, or could it mean "taste the drink first"?TAPwiki (talk) 20:13, 17 August 2020 (UTC)

Straightforwardly I'd assume it's the physical sense. Although punch as a drink apparently comes from Hindi, I think most people mentally think of it as a punchy drink because it has a strong flavor and sometimes alcohol. I'd be delighted if the party drink origin were true, but I'd expect to see more variations like "beaten to the punchbowl". It's possible the expression originates from the physical punch, but perhaps in a metaphorical sense ... sense 4 just says "impact", for example. —Soap— 14:08, 3 September 2023 (UTC)