Bite the bullet

Posted by ESC on August 21, 2005

In Reply to: Bite the bullet posted by Trudi on August 21, 2005

: Where does 'bite the bullet' come from?

BITE THE BULLET -- "Brace yourself for an unpleasant experience; decide to get on with a difficult task. Although one can find other explanations, it seems most plausible that the term originated in battlefield surgery before the days of anesthesia. A surgeon about to operate on a wounded soldier would urge him to bite on a bullet of soft lead to distract him from the pain; at least it would minimize his ability to scream and thus divert the surgeon. Rudyard Kipling reflected the broader meaning in 'The Light that Failed' : "Bite on the bullet, old man, and don't let them think you're afraid.'" From The Dictionary of Cliches by James Rogers (Ballantine Books, New York, 1985).

• Bite the bullet Smokey Stover 22/August/05
  • Bite the bullet Victoria S Dennis 22/August/05
    • Bite the bullet Smokey Stover 22/August/05
      • Bite the bullet Victoria S Dennis 23/August/05
        • Bite the bullet Lewis 05/September/05