General Knowledge · 2
Which English idiom is said to have originated from soldiers biting down on ammunition to endure the pain of surgery without anesthesia?
Answer
Bite the bullet
"Bite the bullet" specifically traces its origin to wounded soldiers biting an actual bullet during battlefield amputations before anesthesia existed, unlike similar idioms about enduring hardship.
💡 Did you know?
"Bite the bullet" originated from battlefield surgery before anesthesia, when wounded soldiers literally chewed bullets during amputations to cope with pain.
Other options people guess
- Take it on the chin
- Grin and bear it
- Tough it out
Topics
- idioms
- etymology
- history
- language
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