The word “pat” has a wide array of meanings depending on the context. It can be a light physical touch, a small slice of butter, an initialism for Point After Touchdown (the extra point attempt that comes after a touchdown in American football), or a proper noun, the name Pat. But if you “have something down pat,” you’ve mastered that thing and committed it to memory. Let’s look at the origins of “down pat” and explore its enduring popularity in the English language.
To better understand the phrase, we need to break down its individual components. According to Merriam-Webster, one definition of “down” as an adjective is “completely mastered.” This usage stands without the word being followed by “pat.”
However, the idiom includes the word “pat,” which in this case is used as an adverb meaning “aptly” or “perfectly.” There’s an adjective usage meaning “exactly suited to the purpose or occasion” or “learned, mastered, or memorized exactly” that also applies here. The adverb dates to the 1570s, according to the Online Etymology Dictionary, and the adjective usage came about by the 1630s.
So when you look at those meanings, “down pat” seems a bit redundant. It translates to having something “completely mastered and memorized exactly.” It’s also not entirely clear why these two words were first paired together, as etymologists haven’t pinpointed the exact origin of the phrase. But if you want to be extra certain your mastery of a skill is getting across, “down pat” will convey the message.
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