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PERSEVERANCE
1. bloody but unbowed: Beaten but not subdued;
defeated but unyielding; proud in adversity. This expression can be traced
directly to William E. Henley, who penned the term while a patient in a
tuberculosis hospital: 2. come hell or high water: Come what may, no matter
what; also " in spite of hell or high water." P. I. Wellman in
"Trampling Herd" (1939) claims the following as the origin of the
expression: 3. diehard: A hardcore supporter; one who struggles
and resists to the bitter end, particularly against change or innovation;
literally one who dies hard. This expression reputedly had its origin in the
Battle of Albuera (1811) where the 57th Regiment of Foot of the British Army
fought desperately to maintain a strategic position. In the midst of the
fighting, Colonel Inglis is said to have urged his men on by shouting ``Die
hard! 57th, die hard!'' The last-ditch courage and stamina with which the 57th
fought that day earned them the nickname the "Diehards, "by which
their regiment is known to this day. Use of this term dates from at least 1844. 4. do a Nelson: To withstand great danger; to be
undaunted by adversity; to maintain one's courage and resolve; to stand firm.
This expression became popular in England during World War II, and, strangely
enough, refers to the statue of Lord Nelson which stands in Trafalgar Square
rather than to the naval hero himself. The term became almost a catch phrase
among the Civil Defense people who served during the `great blitz' of 1940-42.
Laurie Atkinson summed up their attitude in a speech on July 1, 1948: 5. dog in a doublet: A bold, determined man. This
phrase alludes to the practice in northern Europe during the Middle Ages of
protecting boarhounds with a leather jacket buttoned about their bodies. These
dogs presented such a resolute appearance in these doublets that they came to
symbolize a determined man. They are pictured in many of Peter Paul Rubens'
paintings. A variant of this expression is "as proud as a dog in a
doublet". 6. don't give up the ship: Keep fighting or trying,
hang in there. Although this expression was not new at the time of the Battle of
Lake Erie (September 10, 1813) when Commodore Perry adopted it as his battle
cry, it was he who popularized the words and made them memorable. The expression
has extended beyond its naval origins and application and is now currently used
to give encouragement to people in all walks of life. 7. hang in there: Don't give up; stick to it;
persevere; refuse to give in. This exclamation, used as a phrase of
encouragement, is usually addressed to one who is struggling to continue under
difficult or adverse circumstances. Although the phrase's origin is unknown, it
may come from the world of boxing, where a fighter, who is tiring near the end
of the bout is often told to "hang in there", literally meaning that
he should go into clinches and hand on his opponent to save his energy. The term
soon became a part of the general sports vocabulary and rather quickly after
that found its way into everyday use as a general term of encouragement to a
friend who is suffering from depression or seems about to surrender in the midst
of a difficult endeavor. 8. hang tough: To persevere; to remain firm in one's
resolve; to refuse to give up. This American slang expression dates from about
1970 and probably owes its genesis to the expressions "hang loose" and
"hang in there". 9. happy warrior: One who is undaunted or
undiscouraged by adversity, a diehard; often used of a politician who is a
perennial candidate for nomination or election to high office. The nickname
"Happy Warrior "was first applied to Alfred E. Smith, Democratic
candidate in the presidential election of 1928. 10. have scissors to grind: To have ends to attain
or ambitions to achieve; to have labor to do or a purpose to serve. Not to be
confused with the more common "have an ax to grind", which connotes
selfishness, this term deals with one's aspirations and duties in life, and most
commonly connotes ``We all have problems in life, and I must get on with solving
mine; I don't have time for yours.'' 11. hold [one's] ground: To firmly maintain or
defend one's position; to resist the pressure to compromise one's ideals.
Although this expression can refer to maintaining ground literally, as in a
battle, it is more frequently heard in regard to defending a philosophical
stance. The two levels of usage are related, however, because even in war there
is a philosophical basis for defending one's "ground," meaning
`territory, land,' etc. This expression and its variants "keep" or
"stand one' s ground" appeared in print by the 17th century. 12. keep a stiff upper lip: To keep one's courage
when confronted with adversity, to remain resolute in the face of great
difficulties, not to lose heart. The allusion is to the quivering of the upper
lip when a person is trying to maintain control and keep from crying in the face
of danger or great emotional stress. 13. keep [one's] chin up: To maintain one's courage
and resolve, to keep one's spirits up, to keep one's head held high. This
American expression has been in use since at least 1938. 14. keep [one's] nose to the grindstone: To persist
in an unpleasant task; to labor continuously, especially at hard, monotonous
work; to labor unceasingly; to drudge. The allusion is perhaps to laborers
hovering over grindstones or whetstones to sharpen tools made dull from constant
use. The expression and variants, which date from at least 1532, originally
meant to oppress someone else by exaction of labor. 15. keep [one's] pecker up: To "keep one's chin
up, "to hold one' s head high, to keep one's spirits or courage up. In this
British slang expression "pecker" means `spirits, courage.' It
probably derives from the term "pecker" for a bird's beak or bill.
Cockfighting is sometimes cited as the source of the phrase, since a gamecock's
pecker or beak sinks when he is tired and near defeat. Thus, the expression
literally means to keep up one's beak (British slang for "nose"). This
of course cannot be done without keeping the head and chin up as well. The
expression, which dates from at least 1853, is avoided in the United States,
where "pecker" has an altogether different and vulgar slang meaning. 16. nail [one's] colors to the mast: To fight or
hold out until the bitter end; to refuse to compromise, concede, or surrender;
to persist or remain steadfast, especially in the face of seemingly overwhelming
opposition. It has long been nautical custom for a ship to signify its
nationality or allegiance by flying that country's colors (i.e. , flag) from its
tallest mast. In battle, a captain could signal his surrender or defeat by
lowering the flag. If the colors were nailed to the mast, however, they could
not be lowered, implying that surrender was not possible. 17. praise the Lord, and pass the ammunition: Keep
up the struggle, don't give up. This expression, although rarely used today, was
the title of a popular song during World War II. It has been attributed to
Chaplain Howell Forgy, who was on board the cruiser "New Orleans" in
Pearl Harbor at the time of the Japanese attack in 1941. During the assault the
chaplain helped fuel a counterattack by carrying ammunition to the ship's guns.
He is purported to have said the now famous words ``Praise the Lord, boys -- and
pass the ammunition.'' 18. the show must go on: One must persevere; one
must be undaunted by adversity; the public must be served. Contrary to popular
belief, this expression had its origin in the circus, not in the theater. In
case of an emergency, such as a fire, the band was to continue playing, the
troupers to continue performing, with the hope that the audience, thus
distracted, would not panic. Today, the term is common in theater usage with the
sense that in spite of injury or illness a performer should not disappoint the
audience nor fail his fellow troupers. 19. stick to [one's] guns: To stand firm; to persist
in one's point of view, argument, or beliefs; not to yield or give in; to hold
one' s ground.
PERSEVERANCE., Picturesque Expressions: A Thematic
Dictionary, 01-01-1994. |
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