Idiom
stiff upper lip
Meaning
The quality of being resolute and showing self-restraint, stereotypically associated with the British; especially as keep a stiff upper lip.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Examples
“Try to keep a stiff upper lip during the difficult meeting.”
“Even though the news was disappointing, he kept a stiff upper lip and finished his presentation.”
“Despite the mounting pressures of the crisis, the leader maintained a stiff upper lip, projecting an air of calm resolve to the anxious public.”
Examples
simple
“Try to keep a stiff upper lip during the difficult meeting.”
contextual
“Even though the news was disappointing, he kept a stiff upper lip and finished his presentation.”
complex
“Despite the mounting pressures of the crisis, the leader maintained a stiff upper lip, projecting an air of calm resolve to the anxious public.”
Origin
Despite its current association with British stoicism, the phrase is of American origin, with the earliest known use occurring in 1811.
Key words
Related idioms
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