Was somebody such a fan of something that he found it hard to die?
QUESTION
We always see the terms ‘die-hard supporters’ or ‘die-hard fans’. Any idea how this term came about?
ANSWER
If you look at the ‘die-hard’ or ‘diehard’ in the dictionary, you will find that one of the definitions of the word as an adjective refers to someone who is complete and thorough in one’s beliefs.
If you apply that to sports and describe someone as a being a die-hard fan of a particular team, you are saying that he is a staunch and complete supporter of the team!
We have to admit we have no idea as to how ‘die-hard’ came about, but we’re pretty sure it didn’t come from the movie!
Source: Edited from “English As It is Broken” on STOMP. Visit www.stomp.com.sg for more
