"step up to the plate"

[Jonathan Lighter]

"Your World," Fox News Channel, five minutes ago:

"There is a role for the federal government [in the Schiavo case], and they have not stepped up to the plate!"

Politicians and talking heads use this metaphor all the time, but it's not in OED.  One definition might be, "to face a situation or make a decision squarely and confidently."

It's been around for many years.

JL




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