Bite the Bullet
Meaning: To make yourself do something unpleasant or difficult that you’ve been avoiding.
How to use it
It’s common in everyday talk and at work, and it’s neutral in tone. People often use it for decisions they’ve been putting off: paying for a repair, having a hard conversation, starting a big task. It often comes with “finally” or “just”: “I finally bit the bullet and…”
Examples
- I finally bit the bullet and booked the dentist appointment.
- We’ll have to bite the bullet and hire more people.
- I hate public speaking, but I bit the bullet and gave the presentation.
A common mistake
It’s about doing something you don’t want to do, not about being in physical pain. Also, the past tense is bit the bullet, not “bited the bullet.”
Where it comes from
The popular story says soldiers bit on a bullet during surgery before anesthesia, but there’s little solid evidence for it. The phrase was in use by the late 1800s; Rudyard Kipling used it in his 1891 novel The Light That Failed.
Say it out loud
Tabbi Daily gives you one short lesson like this every day. Listen, record yourself and hear how you sound. Free, no account needed.
Source: HistoryExtra