down pat

English

Etymology

Unknown, but possibly a use of pat (“light tap”) in the sense of hitting the mark.

Pronunciation

• Audio (AU):

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Adjective

down pat (not comparable)

1. (idiomatic) Thoroughly practiced, rehearsed, or understood; mastered.
   • 1913, Jack London, chapter 8, in The Valley of the Moon:

     "She's got that Indian wrestlin' down pat, an' she's built for it."

   • 2008 Oct. 9, Clifford Coonan, "The Bruce Lee legend," The Independent (UK) (retrieved 4 Nov 2008):

     He has the look of Bruce Lee down pat, with the same defiant expression and spare but muscled frame.

Synonyms

off pat

Anagrams

• pat down, patdown