You thought I was going to write about USA beating Pakistan in T20 World Cup? I was but changed my mind to write about upset.
Per dictionary “upset” means make (someone) unhappy, disappointed, or worried.
Upset happens in electoral competition or in sports. But how this word was evolved? Some people say this word was used first in the year 1877. But this word “upset” became popular because of the following incident:
There was a race horse named Man o’ war. This horse was considered the greatest horse of the 20th century. Won 20 out of 21 races between 1919 to 1920. Established 7 track records for speed over various distances.
His only defeat was in the 1919 Sanford Memorial in the Saratoga Race Track. Want to know the name of the horse who beat Man o’ war? Name of that horse is Upset.
Per Britannica, The loss gave rise to the popular belief that Man o’ War’s defeat was so monumental that it marked the beginning of the use of the word upset in reference to surprising sporting wins.
Now you know all about “upset”.