(The) or The Submerged Tenth The proletariat, sunk or submerged in poverty; the gutter-class; the waifs and strays of society All but the `submerged' were bent upon merrymaking - Society, November 12th, 1892 p 1273 If Mr Booth has not inaugurated remedial work among the submerged tenth, he has certainly set the fashion of writing and talking about them - Newspaper paragraph, October 13th, 1891 Submit means simply to lower, and the idea usually associated with the word is derived from a custom in gladiatorial sports: When a gladiator acknowledged himself vanquished he lowered (submitted) his arms as a sign that he gave in; it then rested with the spectators to let him go or put him to death If they wished him to live they held their thumbs down, if to be put to death they held their thumbs upwards