Question

Think about the idiomatic expression in the following excerpt from "The Notorious Jumping Frog of Calaveras County." “[Smiley’s dog] would grab that other dog … and hang on till they throw up the sponge.…” What does the expression “thrown up the sponge” most likely indicate about the people watching the dog fight?

Answer 1

Admit that they lost the bet

Step-by-step explanation:

The options you were given are the following:

• admit that they lost the bet
• bet more money on Smiley's dog
• grab Smiley's dog and tie it up
• try to help the other dog beat Smiley's dog

An idiom is a phrase that has a figurative, non-literal meaning. We can't conclude what this type of phrase means based on the meanings of individual words that make it up. Here, we have the idiom throw up the sponge. No one is literally throwing up sponges. This phrase means to give up a contest or to acknowledge defeat.

Based on this information, we can conclude that the dogs are fighting until the people who own them admit that they lost the bet.