Idiom
take a licking and keep on ticking
Meaning
To be tough; to have endurance; to have the capacity to absorb stress or damage, but still be able to function.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Examples
“This old car can take a licking and keep on ticking.”
“Our old washing machine takes a licking and keeps on ticking every day.”
“You take a licking and keep on ticking even when work gets stressful.”
“Even after the heavy storm damaged the roof, the sturdy house managed to take a licking and keep on ticking.”
“My smartphone fell down the stairs and the screen cracked, but it can take a licking and keep on ticking.”
“The boxer took several hard hits during the final round, yet he continues to take a licking and keep on ticking.”
“Despite the relentless economic pressures and repeated setbacks, the small business proved it could take a licking and keep on ticking through sheer persistence.”
Examples
simple
“This old car can take a licking and keep on ticking.”
“Our old washing machine takes a licking and keeps on ticking every day.”
“You take a licking and keep on ticking even when work gets stressful.”
contextual
“Even after the heavy storm damaged the roof, the sturdy house managed to take a licking and keep on ticking.”
“My smartphone fell down the stairs and the screen cracked, but it can take a licking and keep on ticking.”
“The boxer took several hard hits during the final round, yet he continues to take a licking and keep on ticking.”
complex
“Despite the relentless economic pressures and repeated setbacks, the small business proved it could take a licking and keep on ticking through sheer persistence.”
Origin
Derived from the advertising slogan for Timex wristwatches. The phrase was introduced in the 1950s to emphasize the durability of the brand’s products during various televised demonstrations of mechanical resilience.
Key words
Related idioms
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