What it means
A knockback is a rejection that lands with a bit of sting. You hear it with jobs, rental applications, loans, dates, anywhere you put yourself forward and get knocked back. It's not always brutal, but it does leave you slightly deflated for a minute before you dust yourself off and get on with it.
Usage examples
"Applied for that bar job, got a knockback. Manager was all cheers mate, we’ll be in touch. I wasn’t, so I nipped next door for a pint."
"It is the weekend, leave the laptop, let your hair down for once."
"After exams we all let our hair down and danced till the sun came up."
"Got a proper knockback from the letting agent. One look at my payslips and that was me launched back onto Rightmove."
"I asked her out, got a soft knockback, then spent ten minutes pretending I only meant as mates anyway."
Where it comes from
Goes back to when women kept their hair pinned up in elaborate styles all day, only letting it down in private at the end of the evening to finally relax. Letting your hair down meant dropping the formality and being yourself. Now anyone can do it, no pins required, it just means cut loose and have a proper good time.
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