The story
Shortening of beat to the punch.
Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.
beat to
Today it means: To arrive (somewhere) more quickly (than someone else); to succeed (at something) more quickly (than someone else). Full definition →
Today it means: To arrive (somewhere) more quickly (than someone else); to succeed (at something) more quickly (than someone else). Full definition →
Shortening of beat to the punch.
Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.