Idiom
take one's courage in both hands
Meaning
To summon up one's courage in readiness for a difficult or dangerous action.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Examples
“She took her courage in both hands and finally asked for a raise.”
“You take your courage in both hands and jump into the cold water.”
“He took his courage in both hands before walking onto the stage to give his first public speech.”
“I took my courage in both hands and told my best friend that I disagreed with their decision to quit.”
“After weeks of silence, the neighbors took their courage in both hands and knocked on the door to complain about the noise.”
“Facing the daunting prospect of the interview, she took her courage in both hands and stepped into the room to confront her future.”
Examples
simple
“She took her courage in both hands and finally asked for a raise.”
“You take your courage in both hands and jump into the cold water.”
contextual
“He took his courage in both hands before walking onto the stage to give his first public speech.”
“I took my courage in both hands and told my best friend that I disagreed with their decision to quit.”
“After weeks of silence, the neighbors took their courage in both hands and knocked on the door to complain about the noise.”
complex
“Facing the daunting prospect of the interview, she took her courage in both hands and stepped into the room to confront her future.”
Origin
The expression is a calque of the French *prendre son courage à deux mains*. It entered the English lexicon as a direct translation of the French phrase, maintaining the imagery of a physical exertion required to gather one's resolve. Beyond this comparative linguistic link, the record offers no specific date of introduction or individual attribution.
Key words
Related idioms
- Updated