take it on the chin

T

take it on the chin

Meaning

• this is a boxing metaphor meaning don’t shy away from difficulty
• stand up for yourself
• don’t complain
• get on with it
• be a man; be strong
• accept the challenge
• admit your mistakes and accept criticism
• face up to problems
• don’t be weakened by criticism or insults

Example Sentences

1. You’re going to have to take it on the chin when your father gets home and sees what you’ve done.
2. None of the committee members like me and it’s not going to be an easy meeting. If they start to bully me, I suppose I’ll just have to take it on the chin.
3. They didn’t go easy on him, but he took it on the chin, and got through the interrogation.
4. They really threw the book at him but he took it all on the chin.
5. The prosecution lawyer was relentless in his cross examination, but the witness took it all on the chin, and didn’t get upset.
6. The negotiations were brutal but she took it on the chin and didn’t cave in.

Origin

The idiomatic expression was originated from boxing and usually implies to a straight and critical punch – in general exactly from an uppercut, but that’s inappropriate to the use of the idiom as a common phrase.

Body, Boxing, Sports