bullet

bite the bullet

Sl. to accept something difficult and try to live with it. You are just going to have to bite the bullet and make the best of it. Jim bit the bullet and accepted what he knew had to be.

See also: bite

sweat blood and sweat bullets

Fig. to be very anxious and tense. What a terrible test! I was really sweating blood at the last. Bob is such a bad driver. I sweat bullets every time I ride with him.

See also: blood, sweat

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bite the bullet

to make yourself do something or accept something difficult or unpleasant

Usage notes: When army doctors performed painful operations without drugs, they gave patients a bullet to put between their teeth.

They decided to bite the bullet and pay the extra for the house they really wanted. Car drivers are biting the bullet after another rise in petrol prices.

See also: bite

sweat blood 

1. to work very hard He says that writing does not come naturally to him and he sweats blood over every sentence. I sweat blood every week just to earn enough money to feed my family.

2. to feel very worried or anxious We sweated blood as we waited for the police to phone, not knowing if Charlie was alive or dead.

See also: blood, sweat

sweat bullets  (American informal)

to be very worried or frightened He was sweating bullets by the time the police had finished questioning him.

See also: sweat

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bite the bullet

to do or accept something difficult or unpleasant We've all experienced unpleasant moments when we had to bite the bullet and apologize for something we did.

Etymology: based on the literal action of biting on bullets that was done by soldiers in the past who were operated on without drugs

See also: bite

sweat blood

to work very hard Some students sweat blood over their dissertation, and others write it in a couple of months.

See also: blood, sweat