'How is it that Maynzie consistently punches above his weight?' means 'How come that Maynzie firmly pulls women who are better looking than him? '?

Question

I have found in Macmillan Dictionary the following:

to punch above your weight means 'to pull or pick up someone who's better looking than you'.

As an example gives the following question:

How is it that Maynzie consistently punches above his weight?

I do not understand the meaning of that question. Can I say that it means:'How come that Maynzie firmly pulls women who are better looking than him?'

Answer 1

Idioms such as this one can be tricky to find in dictionaries for a few different reasons:

1. It may be a new or infrequently-used idiom, so some dictionaries may elect to not list it. (Most dictionaries are not exhaustive.)

2. Other dictionaries may mention it, but it might not get its own listing. It may be buried under a word like punch, which already has several meanings. (For example, you can find it on this page, but it's not exactly easy to find.)

3. In online dictionaries, it may be hard to know what to search for, thanks in part to the third word. In other words, this idiom could be listed under any of these entries:

   • Punch above one's weight (as in Collins)
   • Punch above your weight (as in Macmillan and TFD)
   • Punch above our weight
   • Punch above their weight
   • Punch above somebody's weight
   • Punching above his weight (as in The Phrase Finder, which also has a nice origin note)

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As for what the phrase means in the context of dating, it's a good-natured expression that doesn't really take into account all of the intricacies of relationships. As a very wise friend of mine once said:

Whenever I see a man who is clearly punching above his weight, I think to myself, "Now there goes a man who knows how to listen."