| Idiom | Bite the Bullet |
|---|---|
| Example | The principal wants to see you in her office. Get ready to bite the bullet. |
| Meaning | prepare for an unpleasant experience; brace yourself to endure with courage something painful but necessary |
| Origin | Many word experts think that this expression came from the 19th century medical practice of giving a wounded soldier a bullet to bite before he was operated on without anesthetics on the battlefield. Biting on the soft lead bullet was the way of dealing with the pain. It kept the soldier from screaming, which could distract the surgeon during the operation. |
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