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bite the bullet

bite the bullet

Date: Oct 17 2019

Quote

1. Quote - Listen to the quote and guess what the slang means.

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“You bite the bullet and get on with it. One can’t expect to be happy all the time.”

Author Santa Montefiore, talking about how to act in hard situations (GoodReads)

Definition

1. Definition - Study the definition.

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do something one doesn’t want to do; accept an unpleasant situation

2. Use - Learn how the slang is used.

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Sometimes you will find yourself in a hard situation. Think about the last time you had to make a big choice in your life. Was it easy? Some choices are simple, like what to eat for dinner. Other choices can be much harder. For example, a couple who fights all the time might want to bite the bullet and break up. In most countries, people want the leaders in their government to bite the bullet and always tell the truth.

Having to bite the bullet is never easy. For example, maybe your sister is sad because her favorite shirt has a hole in it. She might say that she had to bite the bullet and throw it away. Another example could be if your friend Matt really hates working at his job, you could tell him he should bite the bullet and quit because it makes him so unhappy.

Santa Montefiore thinks that if one wants to be happy, sometimes they will have to bite the bullet. When one has to make a hard decision, she believes that they should make a choice and do what is right. This isn’t always the easiest choice to make, but it is often very important. Being a good author is hard work. Montefiore knows that, but she bit the bullet and has now sold over three million books!

When have you had to bite the bullet?

Examples

1. Examples - Hear some example sentences.

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“Gary has been hiding from the police, but he’s going to bite the bullet and turn himself in.”

“I didn’t want to do my homework, but I had to bite the bullet and now it’s finished.”

“Last night I bit the bullet and broke up with my girlfriend.”

Winners

1. Winners - See who guessed the slang definition correctly.

Dizelman to make oneself do something hard or unagreeable
by DizelmanSuper Member!
Manu4 To confront a hard situation
by Manu4
To adapt to the situation and go on.
by La Princesse de la vie
Hazelgirl confronting and dealing with a hard situation, what you're expected to tolerate and it would be also challenging.
by Hazelgirl
a2020 You don't scream and you have your sadness inside of yourself.
by a2020
aijaciba Try to live with something difficult and unpleasant
by aijaciba
 julito take it how it comes ,no complain.
by julito

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Comments

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Sergijko

Sergijko

Ukraine

It’s important to be ready to bite the bullet for proffesional athlets. But they aren’t only who should have this ability.

01:38 PM May 30 2015 |

samirah

samirah

Saudi Arabia

I always have to bite the bullet 

04:39 PM Mar 14 2015 |

Mahtab.bp

Mahtab.bp

Iran, Islamic Republic Of

Then you have learned by yourself!


Amazing!


Thanks for your answer and I wish you good luck Julito!


It is really great to have you as a friend here!


Even without seeing your profile! :)

06:54 PM Mar 13 2015 |

1 person likes this

 julito

julito

Argentina

sure , i can answer that but pls. keep it under your hat, jejejeje. my friends  tell me that in my past life i was born in America. Why, you could ask, because i have all the profile of an american , i even like to eat cinnamon rolls,  very unusual that argentines like it.


now i am serious again, part of the credit goes to English Baby and many of you  who  every day dedicate your precious time to the study of the english language.  

06:29 PM Mar 13 2015 |

Mahtab.bp

Mahtab.bp

Iran, Islamic Republic Of

Yes it is really true!


I’m happy you feel like this Julito!


There are many educated people who are not successful or satisfied of their job or status!


But Julito!


I have a question that I always had on my mind about you! :D


Where did you learn english so great!

05:59 PM Mar 13 2015 |

 julito

julito

Argentina

Dear Mahtab, thanks for your undeserved praise.  Now looking back into the past and with the perspective of time i see that everything in my life  was for a purpose , even failing at school. I became an independent contractor, i have greased my hands ,and not with ink, it is true , but i have had the time of my life ,the  freedom of not having to obey orders, vacations  with no time limits. I am very grateful to life for all this.

05:37 PM Mar 13 2015 |

Mahtab.bp

Mahtab.bp

Iran, Islamic Republic Of

Dear Julito


You didnt need to go to university to be successful because you are a very brilliant person!


All teachers shouldnt be too strict and all students dont need that to be successful! :)

05:25 PM Mar 13 2015 |

 julito

julito

Argentina

Dear teacher Mahtab, you reminds me of my days in college , one of the teachers like a father used to talk to us about the importance of taking seriously our school days. I was one of the boys who let his wise words fall on deaf ears. Years later ,without  any academic degree, to get by i could only  secured an under paid job. He was right ,he knew what he was talking about.

05:12 PM Mar 13 2015 |

Mahtab.bp

Mahtab.bp

Iran, Islamic Republic Of

It seems we use this expression when we need to tolerate hard times to obtain better things in our life!


I guess we have bitten the bullet many times in our lives!


When we have to do a surgery or go to a dentist we bite a bullet and do it!


Or when we have to leave someone or something that hurts us but we still care about that person or thing , nevertheless we have to bite a bullet and let him/it go ! ;)


As a teacher I bite the bullet many times!


Sometimes I’m very strict with my students to force them to study better even if they dont like it and maybe they hate me for that! ;)

04:58 PM Mar 13 2015 |

albasel1975

Germany

@julito… You are welcome… I should seize this opportunity to show how much I admire your very nice comments which which have their own flavour when they are mixed with your funny words.


Your doctor had mercy on you … And you should thank God , I think he had never joined the army not give you a bullet to bite… ( ooh I forgot!! In one of your wonderful comments you mentioned that you have no teeth to do so! ) may be the doctor notice that julito… Thanks again for your amazing comments.

12:30 PM Mar 13 2015 |

1 person likes this

S&W

S&W

China

@scienceboy and seiyf When EB become a place for man complaining how they had been bit the bullet in childhood.


About vaccination,male students always langhing at girl who is crying for vaccination.


12:16 AM Mar 13 2015 |

 julito

julito

Argentina

Thanks Mr.Albasel for enlighining us about the origen of the expression. I would have prefered instead of biting a bullet the doc gave me a shot of whiskey. At least this is what  they did  before the anesthesia was known.  

11:42 PM Mar 12 2015 |

yuminaga

yuminagaSuper Member!

China

Interesting expression.might be I have the bad momery I am pretty sure I did something to bite the bullet but I dont remember it or i dont want to remember it or I meant to forget it . I do like a saying  Water under the bridge .we are connected ,human being animal, plant all ot us in the world should be connected by something somehow .its called fate or destiny.just do what you want to do ,or what you need to do .

11:29 PM Mar 12 2015 |

albasel1975

Germany

Very interesting lesson carries a very attractive title ” bite the bullet ”.. I think this expression matches with many situations we confront in our lives. Sometimes we accept someting difficult or unpleasant; we all face unpleasant moments when we have to bite the bullet and apologize for something we did…. I remember when I was studying at college , our instructor mentioned the story of this expression ; as i remember it goes back to the early war times when army doctors performed painful operations without drugs, they gave patients a bulletto put between their teeth.


For me, once I had to bite the bullet and make the best of it , when the Dean of the college I work in changed, the new one was a very strict , solid, rough man. He was very nosey.. When attends a lecture you are giving, he comes out of the hall with a list of comments and recommendations without an even one good point of your lecture…SO the whole staff had to bite the bullet and try to adapt with and make the best of it.


In our culture there is a saying ” If you can not resist, Try to enjoy.


Thanks for reading my comment

09:50 PM Mar 12 2015 |

habiba 18

habiba 18

Tunisia

seif and scienceboy i’m a nurse and it really dont hurt it’s just like mosquito bites :p the pain u felt back then was only in your head ;)

09:28 PM Mar 12 2015 |

1 person likes this

Seiyf_khawas

Turkey

haha, I know, Scienceboy, 


we learned only ” Men never cry ” thus we bite the bullets along our life )))))

08:17 PM Mar 12 2015 |

ScienceBoy

ScienceBoy

Turkey

Haha, Seiyf. Your comment reminded me my school days. I hated these vaccinations too. Nurses used to say “Don’t be afraid. It won’t hurt. Just a little bit, like a mosquito bites.” What a big lie :)


The worst scenario is not to refuse vaccination, it’s crying in front of girls after vaccination. 


P.S: I have never cried, do not misunderstand :)

05:55 PM Mar 12 2015 |

Seiyf_khawas

Turkey

I didnt bite  any bullet in my life  coz ı didnt have strong teeth for it :)))


anyway, ı remember somethings behind foggy years, it was routine vaccinations in my schoolhood ..each vaccination is a kind of torture for me ..ı was getting afraid too much but ı was getting shame from girls in my class, 


then ı could talk with myself ” be brave..be brave..otherwise all girls and boys will laugh you ,will teasing you for weeks,months ..keep yourself courage a few minutes” 


at last , I’d closed my eyes, I’d bit the bullet for health .

04:31 PM Mar 12 2015 |

Nanoz

Nanoz

United States

Well , I  have to bite the bullet many times as life isnt easy and never had eveythins as I wish.

02:28 PM Mar 12 2015 |

habiba 18

habiba 18

Tunisia

every morning i have to bite the bullet and get out of my sweet warm bed at 05:30 am to the cold tiring world X( in order to work and study and make myself a decent future 

12:38 PM Mar 12 2015 |

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