grasp the nettle
English edit
Etymology edit
From the short-term skin irritation caused by the stinging nettle.
Pronunciation edit
Audio (AU) (file)
Verb edit
grasp the nettle (third-person singular simple present grasps the nettle, present participle grasping the nettle, simple past and past participle grasped the nettle)
- (idiomatic) To act boldly, especially when there are short-term adverse consequences.
- 1886 February 22, “London's Recent Rioting”, in New York Times, retrieved 18 Aug. 2010, page 5:
- Hence it was that a few dozen policemen, resolutely grasping the nettle, had no difficulty in handling it.
- 1951 April 30, “From Today's Times”, in Ottawa Citizen, Canada, retrieved 18 Aug. 2010, page 2:
- President Truman, when at last he grasped the nettle and dismissed MacArthur, knew well enough the outcry that would follow.
- 2007 May 24, “Brown's Britain: taking the nuclear option”, in telegraph.co.uk, retrieved 18 Aug. 2010:
- That Tony Blair should wait until the dying days of his premiership before grasping the nettle of nuclear expansion has proved dangerously neglectful.
- 2020 May 6, Stefanie Foster, “Comment: One chance for a new order”, in Rail, page 3:
- We must be bold. We must grasp the nettle and make the most of this opportunity.