throw down

US, popularized 1970s in street culture, from idiom throw down the gauntlet (“to issue a challenge”), used in sense “to fight, to incite a fight, to make a stand” or otherwise get about partying with abandon (first used by Jay Johnson in Detroit in 1978 - taken nationally by Cecil Franklin, manager/brother of Aretha Franklin). Sense of “accomplish something respectable” evolved from sense “to make a stand, to exhibit, to demonstrate (in a challenging way)” inherent in the fighting sense. Sense of “to make a contribution” likely influenced by sense “to make a stand”, as in “are you in?”, “will you stand up and contribute?”

• "...this guide tracks the artists and recordings that throw down the funk!"
• "“Punch up the rhymes. Throw down some beats. Show off that body. You'll be unstoppable.”"
• "Yeah, they could literally throw down. When their sound came out, it was earth-shaking."
• "“You're performing for the who's who of radio and records at the Soul Train Awards tonight and you've got to throw down”."
• ""We need to finish these five pitchers in half an hour, so throw down as fast as you can!""
• "Let's you and me 'throw down' right here, right now!"
• "When someone near me at a show called the band My Boring Racket, I was ready to throw down, but for the good sense of an accompanying female..."
• "Today's young and hip black male who fancies himself a radical, who is ready to throw down for the cause, is not talking about neo-colonialism, about global struggle."
• "She said no words and was the first to throw down. She stepped up to Dee, and pow!"
• "The time has come. I'm ready to take action. I wanna kick ass and take names later. I wanna throw down, baby boy and baby girl."
• "[to Jesus Christ] Yeah, I’ve got fucking faith, dude! What do you have, you little bitch? You wanna throw down, bro?"
• ""We're goin' in on a pizza; you in?" "Yeah, I'll throw down.""