the.com/comeback kid
Loses the plot in act two, wins the war in act three, on schedule.
means A person or team that revives after apparent defeat and pulls off a dramatic late-stage win, often repeatedly enough that it becomes their signature.
from American sports and political slang, popularized in the 20th century — 'comeback' itself dates to the 1800s for a return to form after decline, borrowed early on from wrestling and boxing where a fighter could stage a literal 'come-back' in the ring. 'Kid' is the old slangy tag for a scrappy underdog, the way boxers and gunslingers got nicknamed 'Kid' regardless of age. The phrase got a famous boost in U.S. politics when Bill Clinton's 1992 campaign leaned into 'The Comeback Kid' after a bruised but surviving primary finish, cementing the phrase as shorthand for anyone who loses early and wins late.
- origin
- Bill Clinton coined it after 1992 New Hampshire primary
- requires
- a highly public disaster first
- sports cliché
- applies only if down by double digits
- secret flaw
- needs a comeback every single time to keep the title