to advocate fervently in favor of a particular point of view or on behalf of someone; directly recalls the image of someone beating a table with a clenched fist due to the fervor of his or her beliefs; this phrase suggests passion and is used when the desired connotations are positive, as in “During the annual reviews I’m going to pound the table for Raj’s promotion, he’s been responsible for 90 percent of our new business wins this past year”; related to go to bat for, which refers to providing support to someone who is in a position requiring bolstering or defense