My granddad and his 3rd wife both got engagement rings (custom made, so they look kinda like each other in format and stones). His was a gigantic manly-man ring, but, it was his engagement ring.

That's not boxing. That's punching. Lots of people punch. Boxing is when you say "Okay, no elbows, no kicking, no punching below the belt, etc, etc." It's the rules that set it aside from just striking with a closed fist.

I guess that common usage is confusing here. People say "box your ears" and they mean punch or smack. (Although why you never box a guy's face, I don't know!) Kids in fights tend to ape the boxing stance, especially at first (later they are whipping out their best impressions of the brawl from They Live ). The fact it devolves to Rowdy Roddy Piper material suggests that formal boxing rules -- rules of any kind -- are quickly forgotten, but I see a lot of cultural artifacts of boxing in what you call punching. But I can see how you'd make the distinction.

Boxing doesn't interest me, except in their focus on sweet footwork.

Boxing doesn't interest me much at all, except to notice how hugely popular it used to be in the US, and how that popularity has waned and turned downmarket. Pro wrestling has a certain highlowbrow appeal, but I think that boxing's constant problems with corruption have exiled it from the middle class. (Whereas, horse racing, which was similarly popular at the same time, has gone way upmarket.)

Lee - unfortunately, I keep missing tv shows, so I have nothing to comment on.

Chikat: it really was a very pretty scene. And yep on the little bit weird.

eta: msbelle, You should try to catch this one. It was HAWT.

People say "box your ears" and they mean punch or smack.

First off, I have no cognitive dissonance issue with the verb "box" and the noun "boxing" not being 100% in line with each other. But more notably, what in hell is boxing someone's ears? Is it really a punch? If so, how do you box both of someone's ears (effectively) at the same time? I thought it more of a slap, either open handed or with a loosely closed fist, but definitely not with the top knuckles.

Kids in fights tend to ape the boxing stance, especially at first (later they are whipping out their best impressions of the brawl from They Live ). The fact it devolves to Rowdy Roddy Piper material suggests that formal boxing rules -- rules of any kind -- are quickly forgotten, but I see a lot of cultural artifacts of boxing in what you call punching

But these kids will not stop at punching. They'll kick and bite and elbow--I think it's not boxing anymore at that point.

When I spar in krav I stand in a stance that looks like a boxer's, move slightly like a boxer (I wish I were that good with footwork) and punch. And then I kick to the nuts, and it's not boxing anymore.

At least how I compartmentalise.

I just inherited my Mom's engagement ring. It's a very small opal, in a pretty setting. Dad bought her a diamond for their 40th wedding anniversary. For them, at the beginning, three month's salary pretty much = three month's rent + food. While I don't see it becoming other than theoretical any time soon, I think I'd rather get a semi-precious ring that has emotional importance (an amethyst that belonged to grandma or something like that) than have the fella in question put a quarter of his year's earnings (!!!) into a piece of jewelry. I'd rather we put that money into a long, luxurious trip to someplace cool. Or, you know, build up the IRA. I think retirement investment says, "With you to the end" better than a hockable rock anyway.

I suspect the whole thing is via DeBeers.

The whole engagement ring thing is via DeBeers to a pretty amazing extent

Remember the "Family Guy" diamond ad? Video clip: [link]

I read everyone's whitefont. I am weak.

Lee, ChiKat: mmmmGUH. I wanted to run right over to Boxed Set, but then I remembered "Colin! Here! Weird! Still hot, but weird!" I'm in favor of more shirtlessness .

Matt, you can also buy punching bags that stand up, like this one.

SWEET! Thanks ita, I believe the Christmas present that I'll ask my assembled family for has just been decided.

"How come I have to buy you a present? What do I get??" "My hand in marriage. Anyway, I like jewelry!"

At the point where one person believes their just showing up trumps the other person's contributions, the union has bigger problems than differences of opinion on jewelry.

That seems like a very insider-compartmentalization. I would probably look at what you're describing and say "that's a boxer playing dirty pool."

(Is pool so dirty? I know you can hustle pool, but is it even possible to cheat at pool?)

But more notably, what in hell is boxing someone's ears?

Ummm, yeah. I would not want to aim a closed fist at the floppy loose flesh right next to a very hard skull. Because I'd probably miss, and that would hurt.

I think the actual attack upon the ear is an open or semi-open hand. Or else, they ear is figurative, and the attack is really on the side of the head, in which case the choice of an open hand or a fist is the choice of how badly you want to hurt the poor kid being boxed.

(Boxing references, like baseball references, are all over the American English language, whether they make any sense literally or not.)

DeBeers is evil. Stay away.