blow-by-blow
UK[ˌbləʊ baɪ ˈbləʊ]US[ˌbloʊ baɪ ˈbloʊ]
adj
describing a report or account that gives all the details of an event in the exact order they happened
Morpheme Breakdown
blow
by
blow
blow
strike
by
near
blow
strike
Etymology
the compound 'blow-by-blow' originates from the sport of boxing, where it was used to describe a detailed, sequential narration of each punch (blow) delivered in a fight. the repetition of 'blow' emphasizes the focus on individual actions, while 'by' denotes progression from one event to the next. over time, this vivid sporting metaphor was generalized to any meticulously detailed, chronological account of events, transferring the logic of a physical contest to the realm of narrative description.
Analysis
Structure: blow (strike) + by (near) + blow (strike)
blow (old english, meaning 'to strike, move forcefully'); by (old english, meaning 'near, alongside'); blow (old english, meaning 'to strike, move forcefully')
Examples
she gave us a blow-by-blow account of the entire committee meeting.
the documentary provides a blow-by-blow reconstruction of the historical battle.
i didn't need a blow-by-blow description of every minor argument.