# Why is boxing called "The Sweet Science?"

**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-boxing-called-the-sweet-science/279742
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [December 14, 2004, 5:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-boxing-called-the-sweet-science/279742 "2004-12-14T05:23:18Z")
**Posts on this page:** 2
**Page:** 1

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### Author: ![RevCo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9fc348/32.png) [@RevCo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RevCo)
#### Post date: [December 14, 2004, 5:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-boxing-called-the-sweet-science/279742/1 "2004-12-14T05:23:18Z")

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As above.

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### Author: ![Walloon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/fbc32d/32.png) [@Walloon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walloon)
#### Post date: [December 14, 2004, 5:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-boxing-called-the-sweet-science/279742/2 "2004-12-14T05:53:33Z")

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Apparently author [Pierce Egan](http://experts.about.com/q/1815/3560343.htm) first used it in 1824, when he called boxing “the sweet science of bruising.”