win one for the Gipper

verb

To do something in memory of another person.

Meanings

verbwin one for the Gipper (third-person singular simple present wins one for the Gipper, present participle winning one for the Gipper, simple past and past participle won one for the Gipper)

present singular third person wins one for the Gipper · participle present winning one for the Gipper · participle past won one for the Gipper · past won one for the Gipper

  1. idiomaticAmerican footballTo do something in memory of another person.

Origin

Attributed to Knute Rockne, coach of the Notre Dame football team, during a 1928 American football game between Notre Dame and the Army. During a half-time talk to his team, who were losing the game, he encouraged the team with the death-bed speech of former player George "The Gipper" Gipp: : "I've got to go, Rock. It's all right. I'm not afraid. Some time, Rock, when the team is up against it, when things are wrong and the breaks are beating the boys, ask them to go in there with all they've got and win just one for the Gipper. I don't know where I'll be then, Rock. But I'll know about it, and I'll be happy." Popularized by the 1940 film Knute Rockne, All American, which starred future President of the United States, Ronald Reagan, as George Gipp.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

win one for the Gipper. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/win%20one%20for%20the%20Gipper

MLA

“win one for the Gipper.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/win%20one%20for%20the%20Gipper. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “win one for the Gipper,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/win%20one%20for%20the%20Gipper.

Source: win one for the Gipper on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.