Hang Up the Gloves

To “hang up the gloves” is to quit or retire from something. The term is derived from the world of boxing, where boxers are said to “hang up the gloves” when their careers are done.

In mixed martial arts, fighters usually take off their gloves and place them in the middle of the cage/Octagon to signify that they are retiring.

This term also applies to the rest of the world, where “hanging up the gloves” means that somebody is moving on from something. For instance, if a nurse is retiring after 40 years on the job, she might say that she is “hanging up the gloves”.