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Free Spirit English / February 1, 2020

88. Bite the Bullet – Learn English Idioms with Videos

It’s a beautiful sunny afternoon here in Portugal. I’ve been lazing away, sitting on the balcony drinking tea and lemonade. But I’ve just realized that it’s nearly five o’clock and I still have a lot of tasks on my to-do list for today. I’d better bite the bullet and get back to work!

In today’s video, Dara share’s more examples of how to use this expression in context. Click on the video below to keep learning!

Learn English - Everyday Idioms #88. Bite the Bullet

Transcript

Why would anybody want to bite on a bullet? Well, in World War I, when soldiers needed surgery, there wasn’t always anesthetic or painkillers. So instead, these soldiers used to bite on a bullet when they were getting surgery. Ouch!

As a result, we use the phrase bite the bullet when we mean force yourself to do something unpleasant because it must be done, or because it should be done, or because it’s a good idea to do it!

But how can we use this phrase naturally? Let’s see:

  • A: Oh, my tooth is killing me!
  • B: Look, just bite the bullet and go to the dentist, will you? I’m sick and tired of listening to you complain about it!
  • My Mum is going to be furious when I call. I forgot her birthday yesterday. Well, the longer I leave it, the worse it’ll get. I’d better bite the bullet and call.
  • Mike, you can’t just stare at her and smile all your life. Eventually, you’re going to have to bite the bullet and ask her out!

So, there we are. Can you use this phrase in an example sentence of your own? Let us know in the comments section below.

Practice

Read the prompts below, and try to use today’s idiom in a sentence.

  • Your boss has promoted you to the position manager of a big company. But your best friend, who is now in a lower position at the company, has been underperforming at work, so your boss asks you to fire him. What do you do?
  • You have been procrastinating all weekend on a project that is due on Monday morning. It’s now Sunday afternoon. What do you tell yourself?

We hope you found this lesson helpful. For more content to help you learn English, check us out on Instagram.

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Filed Under: Everyday Idioms, Videos

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