take lumps

take your lumps (American)

to receive and accept criticism or punishment for something you have done. Joe blames nobody but himself for his problems. He takes his lumps and doesn't complain.

See also: lump, take

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take your lumps

to experience and accept difficulties as part of doing something. When unemployment increased, the Midwest took its lumps earlier than the East, but recovered faster.

Etymology: based on the idea of a fighter being able to take lumps (= accept swelling in parts of the body)

See also: lump, take