bära eller brista

Swedish

Etymology

bära (“bear (be able to support weight)”) +‎ eller (“or”) +‎ brista (“burst”)

Verb

bära eller brista (present bär eller brister, preterite bar eller brast, supine burit eller brustit, imperative bär eller brist)

1. (idiomatic) to succeed or fail, to sink or swim, to go as it may

   Stuntmannen orkade inte planera mer och tänkte att det fick bära eller brista

   The stuntman didn't have the energy to do any more planning and thought that it just had to bear or burst

Usage notes

Often used to indicate that one will go ahead with something that might fail.